Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey
by Bubblewing-luvs-anime
Summary: Li Syaoran works with Mimasaka Ayumu. His job? Murder. His next prey will have to be a 'special delivery'. This girl happens to be Kinomoto Sakura. "Never fall in love with a victim." During his time with her, Syaoran just might happen to break that rule.
1. Proposition

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter One**

_**Proposition**_

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**Hi! :D This is my new CardCaptor Sakura fan fiction. It is my 9th...please read my other ones if you get the time. ^^ ****This fic is more serious than my others. But there will be humour in it, because if it was too dark, I wouldn't even like it anymore. ^^ Also, the way I do things will be different, as well...but that really doesn't matter, heheh. What I mean is doing the line instead of two dashes...whatever. X3 I've wanted to do this story for a while now, but I wanted to finish one of my other fan fictions before I started anymore, soo...here it is! :D I'm also a beta-reader, just thought I'd let you know... Oh yeah! And the name might change...(no matter how hard I worked to think one upX3) I really hope you like it! Please review!**

**_DISCLAIMER! _I DO NOT OWN CARDCAPTOR SAKURA! I OWN MY OC'S, YES, AND THE PLOT, BUT NOT THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

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Syaoran pushed his chocolate hair behind his ear impatiently. He was leaning up against a white pillar in Mimasaka Ayumu's mansion. He heard a shrill cry come from upstairs, and sighed. There was a loud bang and he heard something crash, followed by footsteps rushing down the hallway.

"It's been an hour already," Syaoran grumbled to himself. "He always takes way too long, and makes too much noise."

He looked over at the stairs, and saw the girl race down them, terror etched on her face. There was blood spattered on her clothes and a wound on her arm. Her girly yellow dress was dirty, even more so when she tumbled down the rest of the stairs, screaming.

Syaoran sighed again. "Too much noise," he repeated.

The girl ran over to him, rivers of tears lining her face. She had long black hair and light brown eyes, their pupils tiny with fear. She grasped Syaoran's arms. "Please! Please help me! That-that man is crazy!"

Syaoran looked down at her emotionlessly. The look on her face amused him.

"Scary? Ayumu-chan?" He let out a brief laugh. "I think not."

"But…but he…!" She broke down in his arms.

_Tch, _he thought. _How annoying. _

Ayumu came down the stairs, his dark hair brushed back with strands falling into his face. He was smiling charmingly as he sauntered down the stairs in his fluffy white robe, which had spots of blood on it.

"Oh, Syao-kun," he said dramatically. "Must you always steal my prey?"

Syaoran smiled back. "I can't help it if I'm prettier than you, Ayu-chan."

Ayumu chuckled. "How long?"

"An hour." Syaoran's voice was annoyed. The girl in his arms was frozen, sane realization hitting her like a rock.

"Ah, sorry, Syao-kun." Ayumu noticed the girl stiffen, and he laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, don't be afraid. You might not feel any pain, but no promises."

Syaoran sighed. "Must you always tell them that?"

Ayumu blinked innocently. "What? We take their heads first. They're already dead after the first blow. That must mean no pain, right?"

Syaoran shrugged. The girl pushed him away and screamed loudly. Ayumu, having reached the last step, walked swiftly over to her and slapped her.

"Shut up!"

The girl fell to the ground. Syaoran bent down and sighed yet again. "Ayu-chan, you always go to far. There, see? She's unconscious now."

Ayumu blushed and muttered an apology. Syaoran rolled his eyes and threw the girl's limp body over his shoulder. He opened the sliding screen door and stepped out onto the patio, followed closely by Ayumu.

"And by the way," Syaoran said as he advanced onto the grass. "It's not 'we' that kills." He stuck his tongue out playfully. "It's you."

Ayumu grinned. "Yeah, but you like to watch!"

Syaoran smiled back. "Yeah, so? I'm just delivery boy."

The older man snickered. "Whatever. I'll go chop her up now, I guess, now that she's unconscious."

Syaoran nodded. "Okay. I'll start the fire. Oh, and Ayumu-chan?" Ayumu looked back questioningly. "Don't take too long." He grinned and gave Syaoran a thumbs-up before walking into the forest.

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Syaoran didn't wait long after starting the fire. He trekked into the woods and spotted Ayumu easily. His axe was a typical one, wooden handle and steel blade, perhaps a bit larger than an everyday chopper. It was stained red after all of Ayumu's years of using it. Syaoran had only met him one year ago when his car stalled in front of the mansion, and he had received help from Ayumu. Somehow, Syaoran had become his partner in crime. The memories were foggy, probably because of the drinks the two had shared. A possible threat from the murderer, and bam! Syaoran was an apprentice killer.

The girl's legs and right arm were lying in the grass. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "I thought you told her you'd take her head off first."

Ayumu glared at him, sending shivers down his spine. "She bit me. Her head comes last, now."

Syaoran gulped. Perhaps this was the Ayumu that coaxed him into killing. But now, it had become a part of his lifestyle, a sport that he was paid beautifully for playing. Since Ayumu was a bit of big shot with money to spare, Syaoran lived off of the murders he took part in.

Syaoran noticed the girl was still clinging to consciousness. She reached out to Syaoran. "Help…me…" she whispered, almost inaudibly. Syaoran watched on with cold eyes as Ayumu swung down to silence her forever, splattering him with blood.

When Ayumu had finished, they hauled the girl's pieces back to the yard and threw them into the fire. Syaoran didn't say anything, fearing that if he did, he'd be the next one to have his pieces thrown into a fire.

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The next morning, after taking a shower, Syaoran went downstairs to make himself a cup of coffee. When he reached the kitchen, he found that his friend had beaten him to it.

Syaoran was wary at first, but Ayumu was smiling normally again, and he relaxed after sipping his coffee.

"Syaoran-kun, I need you to do something for me," Ayumu said. Syaoran cocked an eyebrow and took another gulp of coffee. "It's basically the usual, but…" he trailed off, looking away.

Syaoran frowned. "But?"

Ayumu smiled pleadingly. "Well, see…I'm going to Hokkaido next week."

"Yes."

"So…we're in Kagoshima now."

"Stop beating around the bush, Ayumu-kun."

Ayumu set his coffee down and clapped his hands together. "Please, please! Pick one exceptional girl from any town you'd like, and bring her to me in Hokkaido! And, uh, you have to drive."

Syaoran spat his coffee out in Ayumu's face. "What? You want me to _drive _from _Kagoshima _to _Hokkaido._"

"Please! Oh, I beg you, Syao-kun! I'll pay five times what I normally do and give you an ultra new corvette for you to drive around in!" he pleaded, his face twitching because of the coffee.

Syaoran sighed and put his head in his hands. He looked up at Ayumu. "Fine."

Ayumu beamed. He jumped up and hugged him, yelling, "Yay, yay!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling.

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It had been two days since Ayumu left for Hokkaido. Syaoran still hadn't found a girl yet. He was cruising around, watching every girl he saw intently, and they all bored him. He parked the black corvette Ayumu had given him at the side of the road, stopping in front of a convenience store. As he put on his designer sunglasses, he thought, _If this were a convenience store, they'd conveniently have a bunch of cute girls in stock…_

Syaoran stepped out and locked the corvette. He went around the front of the car, glancing around for any girls. He pulled open the door to the store, _'Akiha Variety', _and walked in. A bell went off when he opened the door, and the man at the desk greeted him.

He bought a bunch of candy. The man at the counter, whose nametag read 'Ren', eyed him weirdly. Syaoran countered it with a glare. He had a sweet tooth, so what? It's not like he was fat. Girls swooned over him. Always have, always will.

He threw the bag of candy in the back seat, and started the car. As he was pulling away from the curb, he noticed a girl walking along the sidewalk in his peripheral vision. He whipped around, taking his sunglasses off.

She wasn't too skinny, and not too fat. She was wearing a purple t-shirt with a black vest, black knee-shorts and purple flats outlined in white. She had short, light brown hair that bobbed playfully when she walked. She had a cute face, but what caught Syaoran's eye were her beautiful emerald green eyes that sparkled and dazzled him. He once again got out of his car, and walked over to the girl. He grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, creep! What're you…" She turned around and faced Syaoran. He was glaring at her full blast, and she immediately stopped struggling, knowing it was useless to fight back. "…Doing."

"What's your name?" Syaoran asked, looking her over a second time.

She gulped. "Ki…Kinomoto Sakura. What's yours…?"

He smiled at her, and she blushed, her eyes widening. He loved those eyes. _It will be a shame when we kill you…_

"Please, Kinomoto-chan. Here's my car. _Get in._" At first, his voice was nothing but gentleman. But with the last two words, he added a scary undertone that showed Sakura he was dead serious.

She bit her lip and nodded meekly. Syaoran, still smiling, opened the back door for her, and she climbed in nervously. Syaoran walked around to the other side and opened the door for himself. He looked at Sakura in the mirror as he started driving.

"You, my dear," he told her. "Have just been kidnapped."

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**I'm sorry. ^^" This was kind of a short chapter... But it's just an introduction to the story, I guess, to see if people like it. If you did like...then review! Mwahaha! (Yeah, I'm crazy for reviews. ^^ I hope I get a good response to this story. :) And wow! You have no idea how hard it was to come up with a NAME for it! XD I was here for like an hour trying to figure one it! LOL! Please review! Since I have other fics on the go, if you don't review, it won't be updated for like a month...at least...everytime...Rahaha! Yes! That was a threat! :D Heheh. Oh yeah, and the beginning where they kill the girl? ^^" Sorry if that might have been a little TOO gruesome, but that will probably be the most gruesome thing in this story, just so you know. ^^ **


	2. Who Are You?

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter Two**

**_Who Are You?_**

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**Hey guys! ^^ Thank you for reviewing the first chapter. This makes me very happy...I think I'll write replies to your reviews at the bottom of the page. ^^ And thank you to those of you who are just reading the story, too...but it would help to review! Heheh.**

***So I've redone this chapter without the stupid Japanese words...I reread it, and I was like, Oh God :facepalm: What have I done. xD I was a complete noob when I started this and I probably got the words all wrong too, so sorry about the loser-ness, I'm starting to clear it up now! xD**

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Sakura stared ahead blankly. Syaoran had just driven past the 'YOU ARE NOW LEAVING KAGOSHIMA' sign, and neither of them had said a word.

After a few minutes, Syaoran asked, "It surprises me that you aren't crying for your mom and dad. That's generally the reaction of young girls, isn't it?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I only did that the first time." Syaoran looked back questioningly. "Father and Mother don't care about me."

"Then that will make my job easier, I guess…" Syaoran replied uncertainly.

Sakura clenched her fist on the smooth black leather seating. Her father would only see this as an opportunity for more popularity or something.

Syaoran turned the wheel to the right. "The first time?" he mumbled to himself.

Another long silence went by. They were driving through the country, and the sky was dark despite it being mid day.

"I'm surprised you didn't tie me up and gag me," Sakura stated boldly.

"There's no need. I know you wouldn't run away from me."

Sakura frowned slightly and looked down. That was true. Her previous experiences had made her quite nervous around strangers. And yet, she would do anything they said right away. She feared they would hurt her if she didn't.

However, this man had a strange vibe that pulled her towards him. He was charming and handsome, nothing like the other men. They were rough and ugly, and handled her like garbage.

She noticed a plastic yellow bag beside her on the seat. She reached over to it and peeked inside, her heart beating hard against her chest. _What if it's body parts…?_

"Eeeek!" she shrieked.

Syaoran whipped around, slamming the brakes. "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Sakura pulled out the candy bar, her eyes sparkling. "These are my favourite! But you can barely find them! Can I have it? Please?" Only after she said it did she realize how stupid she was. She would probably be hit now or something.

She braced herself for the pain.

…

"Okay," Syaoran sighed. "You can have it."

Sakura blinked. "R-really?"

He nodded, and the car started rolling again. She blushed when she realized she had overreacted to it.

"Just don't scream like that unless there's a real problem, okay? You scared me," Syaoran said.

"You were…worried about me?" Sakura squeaked, the colour rising to her face. He hadn't heard her, and didn't say anything.

Another few minutes went by. Syaoran glanced into the mirror and saw Sakura eating the candy bar like it was the best food in the world. Her eyes were glazed slightly, and they sparkled and shined as she munched the treat. Syaoran blushed and quickly looked away. _She's cute..._

_"Hey, you."_

Sakura looked up as she finished his candy. "Y-yes?"

Syaoran gestured to the front seat and smiled at her. Her heart skipped a beat. As she was opening the door to the front of the car, she thought about how he was so gorgeous, and charming, and how women must flock to him. And how he killed them all.

She stared at him. He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Are you a vampire?" she asked.

His eyes widened, and then he burst out laughing. "Of course not! Those things only exist in stories."

Sakura blushed and looked at her feet, embarrassed. "Oh, right." She felt really dumb, but she was used to it. At parties, she always made a fool of herself.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was thinking about how different Sakura was than his other prey. She was right, it might have been strange that he didn't tie them up, but they still cowered and cried in the corner when they found out what was going to happen to them, whereas Sakura remained calm. He glanced over at her and looked a little closer at her beautiful emerald eyes. His own eyes widened when he detected a trace of absolute fear in them, and caught her lower lip trembling.

He focused on the road ahead of him once again and smirked to himself. At least she was _human. _

"Wh…where are we going?" she asked quietly. Her face had a red tint to it.

"We're going to Hokkaido."

Her eyebrows flew up. "What? Why there? And why drive?"

Syaoran sighed. "Well, Ayumu-chan went to Hokkaido and wanted an exceptional girl to be brought to him. He thought we would get caught easier if we flew or whatever, and so here we re are," he said, smiling with the charm one notch higher.

Sakura blushed darkly. "Y-you think I'm an exceptional girl?" She kept her voice as steady as she could in the presence of this darkly seductive man. She was kind of missing the point that she was being delivered to Hokkaido to some guy who would kill her. She was kind of in a trance at being complimented as so.

"Of course. You're beautiful, and young…how old are you, anyway?" Syaoran asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I'll be sixteen in two weeks," she responded proudly, a smile dawning on her face.

Sakura's smile inspired Syaoran's smile. But he was surprised. "You mean you're only fifteen?"

She nodded. "And how old are you?"

"Twenty-one in November."

"Oh."

He looked sideways at her and smirked. "Were you hoping I was closer to you in age?"

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, she blushed again and stuck her tongue out.

Syaoran laughed. "Ah, and I should mention, we'll be making various stops along the way, so Hokkaido will be a week away at minimum."

"Okay."

There was another long silence, filled only by the buzzing of the engine. Suddenly, Sakura gasped.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked.

"That person's garden is beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed, gaping at the various plants decorating a large house.

"Lots of people have animals and big gardens in the country," Syaoran told her. Sakura smiled and nodded. Syaoran studied the girl once again. "…How come you don't seem to be so scared?"

Sakura's gaze dropped; she stared at her feet. "I guess I'm used to it…"

Syaoran frowned, confused. "Used to it? What's that supposed to mean?"

Now, Sakura was looking back at Syaoran. "Well…let's just say that I've come to terms with my fear. If I know I'm going to die anyway, why not enjoy what's happening around me while I still can instead of shrouding myself in a cage of despair?"

Syaoran's eyes widened as he stared into Sakura's bittersweet ones. She continued to amaze him. His surprised expression turned into a warm, soft gaze. "I really like your way of thinking, you know? It's a lot more fun than some screaming chick in the backseat."

Sakura bit back a giggle. "Uh…thanks?"

Syaoran's look suddenly got more serious. Sakura stopped herself from turning her giggle into a whimper.

"There's something I wanna ask you…"

"Y-yes?" Sakura squeaked. She felt like bowing at the man's feet as to not be hurt.

"Why did you let me take you so easily?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "You could've screamed or kicked me or something, but you just let the colour drain from your face and got in my car."

"Uhm..." A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead. She looked away from Syaoran. "…Shouldn't you know already?"

Syaoran was taken aback. "…What…?"

Normally, Sakura would have yelled at whomever she was talking to at this point. Everyone she had talked to more than once knew that her previous kidnappings were strictly taboo around her.

But this was no ordinary person. She didn't know him well. He seemed to not know her, which was rather strange. _Everyone _should've known who she was. Putting this aside, she would definitely not yell at Syaoran. Who knows how easily he would lose his temper? She might end up with a collection of bruises on her face if she raised her voice to him.

When Sakura spoke, instead of the firm, steady voice, perhaps slightly above a regular conversational volume that she had expected, it came out in a trembling, soft voice.

"This is my fourth time being kidnapped," she said. Before she knew it, tears were cascading down her face. This was by far Sakura's most sensitive subject.

Syaoran's eyes widened. He gaped at her. She had been kidnapped three other times and survived them all?

"Fourth time?" he repeated. He retained a cool composure even though he was completely bewildered. "Yet you're only fifteen…"

Sakura nodded. "The first time, I kicked and screamed, but they had approached me when I was alone, as you did, and put a bag over my head. No one knew who I was, and the men were so big and scary looking that nobody did anything to help. They gagged me and tied me up before throwing me into the trunk. I knew I was bleeding or something somewhere, and there was an immense pain tearing up my left arm…ugh, I can barely even remember half the details…"

"…That's intense," was all Syaoran said. He still couldn't believe what she was telling him. He had certainly never encountered anything like it before. _I wonder if Ayumu has? _

"It gets worse," she whispered. "The second time, I was with a bunch of bodyguards in a store. A man came up to me, acting like a sales associate. I walked over to the front desk with him, and the next thing I knew, I was passed out with a broken leg and arm, and my hair cut short. Plus, my face was all cut up and-"

"Shut up."

Sakura blinked. "Uh…what?"

"I said, shut up. I don't wanna hear anymore, and it's clear you don't wanna tell me. So don't."

Sakura's mouth was hanging open a little, and she quickly shut it. At first, she was kind of stunned. He had said it so roughly to her, but knew he was saving her from a lot of pain.

Through her tears, Sakura blushed and smiled a little. "You may be kidnapping me with intent to kill, but…thank you, Li-san."

Syaoran didn't say anything back, but he was grinning on the inside, and smiling lightly on the outside. This girl made him happy, and he didn't know why. He had just met her and yet it felt like they had known each other for years. _…Too bad you'll be dead by next month. _

But the question nagged at the back of his mind. _I feel like I've seen you somewhere before…heard your name…_

_Who are you, Kinomoto Sakura?_

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**Well, I hope you liked the second chapter. :3 I worked hard on it. Please review! ^^**

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**Review Replies for Proposition:**

**_Mew Mew Kazusa: _**Yeah...I kind of twitched while I wrote the beginning, too. XD I'm glad you think it's interesting. Thanks for reviewing! ^^

**_Ghostly Priestess Kikyo: _**I didn't expect me to write it. XD My mom's fortress of murder books finally got to me. Sorry, Syaoran's not as evil as the first chapter...but that's cuz it's Sakura he's with. :3 He's evil to other people though. ^^

**_Tanuokami: _**Well, here's the update you wanted! ^v^ Thanks for reviewing!

**_Chi: _**Heheh, sorry if I scared you. XD

**_Cherie Blossom: _**It makes me happy to know you like it... :D Thanks!

**_MistBunnies: _**As you now see...there is a reason for her easy give-in-she was scared crapless because of...well...go read the chapter again! ^^ Heheh. Thanks for reviewing.

**_digi-gal-rox: _**The first chapter made it seem almost impossible for SxS, huh? But it isn't! :D ...Why did I say that to you? It had nothing to do with your review! XD As for giving in...look at MistBunnies answer.

**Thanks for reviewing! ^^ Please review the second chapter, too!**


	3. Dreams

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter Three**

**_Dreams_**

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**Hello again! :D Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Again, your replies are at the bottom of the page. ^^ Overall, I think this story has gotten pretty good reception so far. I'm happy. I thought people would be scared of it. ^^" And as for how Ayumu and Syaoran met...I didn't have it down-pat when I wrote the first chapter, but now I have developed their story fully, and this is where we start to go into that...**

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The young girl's eyes slowly moved to Syaoran as they lost their light. She finally went limp in the pool of blood that surrounded her, and the handsome man standing above her rested his foot on her bare, blood-soaked stomach. Syaoran felt as if he were going to be sick as he fell to the ground.

And then everything went black.

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Syaoran gasped for air and bolted upright after waking suddenly. He was breathing heavily and cold sweat beaded his face and neck. He glanced around for the little green notebook, and grabbed it from the sun visor. He fumbled around and picked up a pen that had been lying on the car's soft, carpeted floor.

He jammed the top in with his thumb, and the tip came out. He quickly scribbled down the dream he had just had, trying his hardest to remember every detail.

Sakura's sudden moan startled Syaoran. He glared her way, attempting to stuff the notebook into his pocket, but sighed in relief when he realized she was still fast asleep.

After taking the notebook out of his pocket, he flipped back a few pages and started from the beginning.

Recently, Syaoran had been having dreams that made him relive the first time he had met Ayumu. He was writing them down as soon as he woke up whenever something new happened in them, because it might lead to something Ayumu wasn't telling him. Ayumu was a friend to Syaoran now, and he was used to living alone with him in that big mansion, with the occasional third person that would never be seen again. Ayumu had explained to Syaoran what had happened when he met Ayumu, but he was suspicious of the handsome rich man. He had a gut feeling that told him Ayumu wasn't exactly telling him the truth.

So far, Syaoran had had two dreams. He kept having the first two over and over again. The details were now so clear to him, what had originally been a simple note of the first dream had turned into a detailed book. And now, he had a completely new chapter to fit into the story. But the latest one stuck in his memory the most; he didn't need to see it twenty times to remember clear details. He started reading from the beginning:

**'I was driving along the country roads normally, planning to see a couple of friends that lived a few towns over. The last checkup for the blue sedan was the month before, I remembered. I didn't think anything would go wrong with it.**

**But it did. I heard a strange clunking noise, and the car started screeching in protest when I didn't stop. Suddenly, it shut down altogether. I cursed loudly as I got out of my broken down car. I stood and watched smoke billow from the hood, dumbfounded. I was hopeless when it came to cars. The most I could do was fill up on gas.**

**I looked around for a house that might be nearby. And sure enough, right behind me, a huge, white mansion loomed. As I approached the big house, I noticed cars in the driveway. There were about four. And a whole bunch of lights were on inside the mansion; I figured that maybe there was a party of some sorts going on, which meant people would be there. People who could fix cars.**

**I knocked on the big white door. Nobody came to answer it. I knocked again; somebody had to be home, with that many cars and a whole bunch of lights on.**

**Eventually, I gave up and turned around. As I started to walk away, something dashed by my feet. I lost my balance and fell backwards, my head slamming down on the handle of the door. It clicked and opened, and I fell to the ground.**

**It went black. A dead girl's face flashed through my mind.'**

That was the end of the first dream. The second one started right where the first had left off.

**'I curled into a ball and held my head for a minute, then stood up, but not without the support of the doorframe. My head was pounding and I could barely see. I walked into the big room; _big _room. There were like ten doors that lead away to who knows where, and a balcony with two curving staircases in the middle. Plus, the carpeted floor was white and soft.**

**I expected a bunch of butlers and maids to come running to my aid, but there was no one. I heard no talking, or music or anything. I found it really strange, but I kept walking.**

**"Hello?" I called out. "Can somebody help me, please?"**

**I heard a loud thud. I looked around. Was it help? I heard it again, and realized it was coming from upstairs. I staggered to the big staircase on the right and climbed up, my legs getting heavier with every step. My head throbbed and my vision kept fading and coming back. My only thought was, _Am I going to die? _**

**It went black. A dead girl's face flashed through my mind.'**

That was the end of the second dream. Now, Syaoran's eyes were on the newest installment.

**'When I got to the top, I collapsed by the railing. I heard another thump, and looked to the right. I pinpointed where the sound was coming from-two doors down from the one in front of the stairs, just out of sight of the front door. Another thump, louder than the others, and a grunt. I gulped and stood shakily. I walked unsteadily over to the wall, and pressed my hand to it for support.**

**As I stood in front of the door the noise was coming from, my hands started trembling. I suddenly had a very bad feeling. But I had come this far, and he couldn't get help anywhere else. It didn't make the situation any better when I thought about my cell phone being stolen from the change room at the gym. I still hadn't gotten a new one.**

**I reached out, and my shaky hand grasped the handle of the door. As I turned it, my vision was coming back. I pushed open the door as the strength drained from me.**

**I gasped at the sight before me. Objects in the room were broken, blood spattered the walls, and the bed was unkempt. But my eyes focused on the two people in front of me: one handsome man in a fluffy white bath robe stained red standing over a girl lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. Her face was tear streaked, and she was barely wearing what you could possibly call 'clothing'.**

**The young girl's eyes slowly moved to me as they lost their light. She finally went limp in the pool of blood that surrounded her, and the handsome man standing above her rested his foot on her bare, blood-soaked stomach. I felt as if I was going to be sick as I fell to the ground.**

**And then everything went black.'**

It sent a chill up Syaoran's spine remembering the scene. The first two dreams always ended with a dead girl's face-and now he knew where that came from.

_What else happened that night? _he wondered.

Syaoran touched the tender spot on the back of his head gingerly. So far, he had discovered that Ayumu had told him one lie: that Syaoran didn't know Ayumu was a killer when they first met that night.

Syaoran clenched his fists and felt the colour drain from his face when he remembered the sight of the dead girl. He had seen many corpses before, but that one gave him the chills…

This made him recall his first few 'jobs'. He had watched on in horror as Ayumu killed the girls that he had brought. He pretended to stay composed for Ayumu, even though he was shrieking in fear on the inside, and vomited every night after a killing. Now, he could watch on as Ayumu killed someone calmly; he was used to it now.

But he still vomited. Every night.

"…Li-san?"

Syaoran jumped and whipped around to face Sakura, who was staring up at him in concern. "L-Li-san, are you okay…? You're very pale. Are you feeling sick?"

_You have no idea, _he thought, but he shook his head, smiling wryly.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Sakura-chan," he said charmingly, taking Sakura's hand and gently pressing his lips to it.

Sakura blushed but didn't protest. Partly because she was still pretty scared, but partly because she didn't mind it. Even though he was a killer, he was quite gentlemanly.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he asked, placing his other hand over top of hers and looking into her big, beautiful eyes.

Sakura shook her head meekly.

Syaoran cocked an eyebrow. "Is something bothering you?"

She hesitated before answering. "Why are you so kind, Li-san? Even if it's in your own rough way sometimes."

Syaoran blinked. To be quite honest, he wasn't this nice to anyone else, except maybe Ayumu. But Sakura intrigued him so; he was drawn to her.

He smiled at her. "I'm really not that kind."

"Well…you're being so nice to me, and it doesn't even seem fake," she explained.

"Because it's not fake. I really like you, Sakura-chan," he said truthfully.

In spite of the situation, Sakura smiled back at her captor. "Thank you, Li-san."

He let go of her hand and started the car. "Please, call me Syaoran."

"Syaoran-san…where are we going now?" she asked. Suddenly, she felt really nervous.

"Hmm…I'll make reservations at a hotel."

Sakura's eyes widened and she blushed. "A-a hotel?"

"Yes. I need to shower and brush my teeth," he told her.

"Uhm, oh."

Syaoran chuckled.

"...What?"

"Nothing…but I know what you were thinking. Disappointed?" he asked playfully.

"N-no!" she protested as she reddened further.

Syaoran let out a real laugh. Sakura thought it was such a sweet sound…

He reached over and ruffled her hair. "You know, I've never met anyone like you before, Sakura-chan."

She didn't say anything.

"Here, watch some TV." Syaoran pressed a button on the dashboard and a screen lowered from the ceiling and turned on. It was a news channel.

"…_missing heiress to the multi-billionaire company, Ki-"_

Click.

"Why did you do that?" Syaoran asked.

"I, uh, don't feel like watching TV right now," Sakura choked, her heart thudding against her chest.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "…Hm. Well…I guess we'll just stop at McDonald's for breakfast."

Sakura's eyes lit up. Syaoran grinned at that. "McDonald's? Really?" Syaoran nodded, slightly confused. "Awesome! I've always wanted to go there!"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "You've…never been to McDonald's?"

She blushed and shook her head.

* * *

Sakura squealed as she walked beside Syaoran up to the fast food restaurant.

"McDonald's~McDonald's~heehee!" she was singing.

"It's not that exciting," Syaoran mumbled.

"For me, it is!" Sakura protested.

Syaoran laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders. "We can have it as many times as you want, Sakura-chan," he said in a soft voice.

Sakura blushed. _The whole arm-around-my-shoulder-thing? I've never done that before, either. _As they approached the door, Sakura put on her sunglasses and pulled her hat down further. Hopefully no one would recognize her.

Meanwhile, Syaoran thought he was enjoying having his arm around Sakura a little too much. _Is this what you call a crush?_

He remembered what Ayumu had told him once: _"Never fall in love with a victim."_

He frowned. He wouldn't fall in love with Sakura. He'd only met her yesterday, and what he felt now was only admiration. He slipped his arm off her shoulder and just grasped her hand.

A little bell chimed when they walked in, and Sakura giggled.

"So what do you want to eat?" he asked her as they approached the desk. His goal was to open his mouth as little as possible as he hadn't brushed his teeth, which was kind of disgusting.

"Uhm, uhm…" She stared intently at the menu on the wall. "Th-the-the-the!" she said pointing.

"The what? You sound like a monkey."

"Oops." She blushed. "Uhm, I want the breakfast burritos, please."

"How may I help you?" the cashier said.

"Hi, we'll have the breakfast burrito and the big breakfast, please," Syaoran ordered.

"Certainly."

"Go sit down at that table," Syaoran instructed Sakura. She nodded and pranced off. A minute later, the clerk came back with their order.

As soon as Syaoran sat down, Sakura grabbed the burrito and took a big bite.

"Do you like it?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura's eyes glowed as she nodded happily. Syaoran smiled. "I'm glad."

As the two ate, they ignored the whispered comments from the other customers about how 'cute the little lovers were.'

* * *

After they left the food joint, Syaoran drove around for a little while, looking for a hotel. Eventually, he gave up and asked someone.

"Where's the most expensive hotel here?" he asked bluntly, glaring at the teenager.

"Uh, what?" the boy squeaked.

"You heard me."

The boy gulped and told him where to go. They followed his directions, and pulled into the parking lot of the enormous hotel.

Sakura dashed out of the car and gasped. "Th-this is amazing!"

It was called The Millennium, and it was awesome. It looked like stairs leading up to the top floor, with a big curve in the middle and a pool glistening in front with palm trees scattered here and there.

"Sure is," Syaoran replied. "Now, let's go. I need to brush my teeth."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote the entire chapter in one sitting. :3 I don't know if they serve the same things at McDonald's in Japan as they do in Canada, but...we'll pretend they do for now. ^^ I hope you'll review again! **

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**Review Replies for Who Are You?:**

**_Yingfa07:_** Well...I guess I am explaining how Syaoran got into his line of work...but not all at once...

**_Mew Mew Kazusa:_** Yes, yes it is rough...but...when Sakura's identity is revealed (if you haven't already guessed...I might've given it away...) you will see the reason.

**_=): _**Yay! I'm glad you like it. :3 I hope you keep reading...(cough, and reviewing...)

**_Tanuokami:_** Yea! Another one of your infamous uber-long reviews! XD And I like wooden roller coasters too...my favourite at Wonderland is the Wild Beast... :3 Also...*cough, Warriors chapter! XD*

**_Tsukali-chan:_** Hmm, maybe 'nice' isn't exactly the best word to describe it. XD And thank you. ^^

**_James Birdsong: _***bows*

**_Star Storm Raven: _**It certainly isn't a joke. I take my writing seriously, thank you. And I'm handling the subject as maturely as I can. I'm probably younger than you think I am, if that helps. And as for the humour, it doesn't neccessarily mean that someone's gonna crack a joke while they stab someone. No, it means that there will still be some humour in the story overall, not in the serious scenes. The story is going just as I planned, and I plan to continue it. I hope you'll continue reading it, too. And I'd still like to thank you for reviewing. It's your opinion, and you're free to give it. I won't delete your review, either.

**_Pikachu2510:_** XD Eek! I'm so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for reviewing! ^^ Also, a one-shot is a short story, like a story with only one chapter.

**_Nicolette AKA Nikki-Chan:_** Hmm...it was intense, wasn't it? :D Thanks for reviewing. ;)

**Thank you all for reviewing! ^^ I hope you'll review chapter four as well! **


	4. Comfort

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**_Comfort_**

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**Hey guys...sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I totally confused myself with this one. XD It might be kind of all over the place, sorry! Plus I got sick halfway through, causing the wait to be longer. =v= So yes, here you go! Again, review replies are at the bottom of the page. ^^ Thank you to everyone who did review! **

* * *

Sakura rolled over on her bed. It felt strange; she wasn't used to it. She was lying on top of the covers, fully clothed. Syaoran was in the shower. She had a weird, fuzzy feeling in her stomach; it was like her brain hadn't completely processed that she was being kidnapped again. She gripped the sheets. Bu it probably helped that she wasn't in the trunk of a car, blindfolded and gagged. And Syaoran wasn't mean, either. He was actually quite the gentleman, not to mention gorgeous.

_Compared to what my life is like normally…_ she thought to herself as the water stopped in the bathroom. A few seconds later, Syaoran stepped out, wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with another. He also had a supermodel's body, Sakura noted. She sat up slowly, her head turning to her captor. She finished her train of thought, _I think I…kind of like this. _

"Do you feel okay?" Syaoran questioned with a strange look.

"What? Oh…yes…" She smiled widely, taking Syaoran aback. "I feel just fine, thank you."

Syaoran blinked and mumbled, "You sure?" before walking back into his room.

Sakura turned on the TV. She flipped to a news channel purposely, to see if she was on it. Of course, she was.

She saw her father and mother, holding one another's hand tightly with nervous looks as they spoke about how worried they were, and how much they missed her and wanted her to be home safely.

_Yeah, right…we both know you're enjoying it. Maybe only Toya's worried for real. _She hugged her knees to her chest, wanting to cry. Her parents made it quite clear that they only saw her as a tool for publicity. Kinomoto Corp. was one of the most powerful businesses in Japan, if not the world. It's only natural that the heads would be ice cubes to even their own daughter. But for some reason, they liked Toya more. Sakura thought it was probably because Toya was better looking than her, and the heir to the company. Sure, she had the title of heiress, but everyone knew Toya would be the next owner. Sakura meant nothing to her parents. _They're probably rejoicing right now. _

Syaoran, noticing Sakura's blank expression, slammed the door loudly behind him as he stepped out of his room. This caused Sakura to snap her head up and realize that tears had been steadily rolling down her face since she turned on the TV.

"Uh…"

"Hmm." Syaoran walked over to the bed and sat down on it, beside Sakura. "So I made a big catch, eh?"

"Gomen nasai," Sakura mumbled, attempting to rub away her tears.

Syaoran looked at her. "For what?"

"For not telling you sooner. That I'm the _heiress"— _she put a lot of emphasis on 'heiress'— "of the Kinomoto Corporation."

"Ehh, that wasn't your fault. I should've known it was you, right? But you cut your hair since the last time I saw you on TV. It used to be really long, and your bangs practically covered your entire face," Syaoran said, waving off her apology.

"Yeah…I cut it because it was annoying," Sakura explained, touching her light brown hair gently.

"I'm glad."

Sakura looked at Syaoran. "Why?"

He smiled at her. "Because your eyes are so beautiful. They're what caught my eye when I first looked at you. They're so bright and lively."

Syaoran's face was very sincere; Sakura could tell he meant every word. It made her blush, but feel so happy. Usually, people would look past her to her parents, and all she would get to talk about was her parents.

But not with Syaoran. He was different. Right away, he had seen Sakura, not Kinomoto Corp.'s daughter.

"Sakura-chan?" he asked, his head cocked to the side.

She snapped back to reality. She smiled back at him, but still couldn't stop the tears from pouring down her face.

"Why are you crying?" Syaoran asked, raising his hand to wipe them away. Sakura blushed, surprised.

"…Are you really a kidnapper?" she asked quietly.

Syaoran chuckled. "You really shouldn't feel so safe with me, you know."

"To tell you the truth…I like this better than being at home. You treat me like a real person," Sakura admitted, embarrassed.

Syaoran let out a loud laugh. "That's a first!"

Sakura blushed. "Well…you know…except for the part where I know you're going to kill me…"

Syaoran wagged his index finger. "Ah-ah. Not me. Ayumu-chan will kill you. Hmm. Do you maybe want to talk to him?" Syaoran asked with wide eyes.

Sakura stared back. "Wh…guh…I…guess so…" she stammered.

Syaoran laughed again, clutching his stomach. "Oh, you're a riot! But I guess if you actually want to…"

Sakura, not wanting to be made fun of further, clenched her fists. "Yes! Yes, I do!" she told him defiantly.

Syaoran grinned and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a RAZR flip phone from it, and punched in Ayumu's number. It rang a few times before Ayumu picked up.

"Moshi moshi? Syao-chan?" he asked. He sounded relaxed.

"Ayu-chan! How're you doing?" Syaoran asked.

"Mmm…just fine. I'm drinking some fine wine right now…" he sighed lazily.

"Well, I got your exceptional girl here, and she's exceptional all right!" Syaoran announced happily.

"Ah! I knew I could count on you, my dear friend! I hope you haven't scared her witless already, eh, Syaoran-chan?"

"Oh, no, not this one. She's a real beauty," Syaoran said, winking at Sakura, who blushed yet again.

"Yes! Send me a picture with your phone, will you?" Ayumu asked.

"Sure thing." Syaoran clicked the camera button and pulled Sakura close to him. He grinned and winked to the camera, while Sakura looked surprised at Syaoran's sudden action. After a moment, Syaoran sent the picture to Ayumu.

"Wow!! Kawaii!! Isn't that…" Ayumu trailed off.

"Maybe," Syaoran said sharply. He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted Ayumu to know that Sakura was the missing Kinomoto Sakura. "She wants to talk to you."

Ayumu laughed and told Syaoran to pass the phone to her.

"Uh…komban wa…" Sakura greeted uncertainly.

"Hey, sweetheart, you know who I am?" Ayumu asked her.

"Ano…hai…a killer?" Sakura squeaked.

Ayumu chuckled. "That's right. I hope that you're enjoying your last days." Sakura thought that, like Syaoran, this man sounded very gentlemanly.

"You like green tea, sweetheart?"

"Hai…very much," Sakura replied. She'd practically been raised on green tea.

"Good. When we meet, I'd like to have some with you before your big--and last--moment. 'Kay?" he asked sweetly.

"Uh…sure…" He was really confusing Sakura. Was he naughty or nice?

"Well, I've got to go now, so I'll say bye."

"Right…s-see ya…"

She hung up the phone, and Syaoran looked at her quizzically. "What did you think of him, then?"

"I think I…like you a lot better…" she answered truthfully. "He kind of sounds really scary…"

Syaoran's gaze hardened a little. "He is pretty scary…"

Sakura leaned back with a sigh. "My fourth kidnapping when I'm fifteen, turning sixteen in two weeks…my parents hate me and I hate them…I've never had a boyfriend…and now I feel more comfortable than ever with my kidnapper…hahaha…pretty crazy, huh…"

Her angelic face touched Syaoran, but her sad eyes made him feel like he needed to cheer her up.

Sakura sat up straight again. "I guess I must be crazy, huh…"

Syaoran scooted closer to her and looked her right in the eyes. At that time, Sakura realized that his eyes were rather beautiful, too…the perfect amber. Syaoran lifted his hand to her chin and gently guided her face closer to his, and pressed his lips to hers all in one swift movement. They were also separated quickly; Syaoran dropped his hand and leaned away again almost teasingly. Sakura was more surprised than ever now; her face reddened as soon as she realized what had just happened.

"Never had a boyfriend, huh? Well, now you know what a kiss feels like," Syaoran said playfully. "I hope you liked it."

Sakura's face was priceless; her eyes were wide like saucers, her mouth hanging open, and her face a violent scarlet. She raised her fingers to her lips incredulously.

"Well then, good night." Syaoran stood and walked over to his room, closing the door quietly behind him.

When he was sure Sakura couldn't see him anymore, he turned a light pink. He didn't know what had come over him; she was just too cute, but sad. He didn't like seeing her sad; he wanted her eyes to be big and bright all the time.

Ayumu's rule flashed through his mind - _'Never fall in love with a victim.' _

Syaoran clenched his fists. _I won't! This is my work! No, more than my work! If I screw up…I die! _He put his head in his hand. _I almost never get this flustered! Besides, I met her two days ago, and she's fifteen. _A voice in the back of his head sang, _soon to be sixteen! _

He shook his head, in hopes of shaking away his confusion. Of course, he failed. He simply crawled into bed and waited for sleep to overtake him.

* * *

Syaoran woke suddenly, covered in cold sweat. His stomach churned, and he whipped his covers off and dashed to the bathroom. He barely made it in time; he started vomiting as soon as he was in front of the toilet.

He had been dreaming again. The next part to his story with Ayumu was unveiled. It was short, and didn't have much information, but Syaoran had a feeling the next dream would.

However, with this dream, it ended with all the dead faces of so many girls. And he recognized each and every one of them.

He breathed heavily in front of the toilet. As he remembered the last part of his dream again, his face screwed up in pain and he retched again.

The door creaked open. "Li-san…? L-Li-san!" Sakura's voice cried from behind him. She ran over to him and rubbed his back. "Daijoubu?!" Sakura sounded really worried. Syaoran looked up at her woozily. _She's going to end up in the end of my dream, too, one day… _

"No…" Syaoran mumbled.

"Do you want some water, Li-san?! Hang on! I'll go get some for you!" Sakura stood up and ran back to the other room.

Syaoran was breathing heavily again, but he wasn't going to be sick again. He was sweating bullets, though, and in his fever, his only thought was _no…Sakura…don't die…don't let Ayumu take you…Sakura…!_

Sakura came rushing back with a glass of water, the ice clinking around in it. Syaoran gulped it down gratefully.

When he was finished, Sakura asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"I'm not sick. This happens every night."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Every night? Shouldn't you see a doctor?"

"I see all the people I've killed every night. And then I vomit. Do you think I could tell that to a doctor?"

"Well…no…" Sakura said uncertainly.

A silence passed between them.

Syaoran looked at Sakura, studying her. This, of course, made her uncomfortable. _Why can't I decide if I feel comfortable or not around him? I guess my overall feeling is comfortable but some of the things he does…_

"Wh…why are you staring at me?" she asked quietly.

"Why are you so nice to me? Why don't you just let me die? Then _you _wouldn't have to," Syaoran pointed out.

"Well…I can't just lie there and pretend I don't hear you puking your guts out! I feel like I have to help, like I'm indebted."

Syaoran studied her quickly once again. "You're very undecided, aren't you?"

Sakura blushed. "Maybe…"

He smiled. "Go back to bed. I have something I need to do."

"Uhh…"

"I'll decide this for you," Syaoran chuckled. He pointed to the door. Sakura stood up slowly and went back to her room.

After she left, Syaoran pulled the book out of his pocket. He scribbled down his dream as he walked back to his bed.

**'I opened my eyes, dizzily trying to remember what was happening. It all came flooding back to me; I froze as I remembered the dead girl. I felt bandages wrapped around my head; I remembered injuring myself while looking for help.**

**"How are you feeling?"**

**My head snapped towards the silky smooth voice. My eyes focused on a handsome man with dark hair, smiling at me kindly.**

**"Oh…kind of dizzy, thank you…" I responded.**

**"That's quite a bump you have. But don't worry, a friend of mine is a doctor, he came over and checked you out. You'll be okay." He looked out the window. "And I take it the sedan is yours?"**

**I nodded. "Yeah…that was the reason I came to your…house." House didn't do it justice. Not at all. "It broke down. I was on my way to my friend's house."**

**"I see. I'll take a look at it later, then. But I think you should stay the night, and rest," he offered.**

**"Oh, no, I don't want to be a burden…" I protested weakly.**

**"Please, we both know it wouldn't take much to accommodate you for one night. Besides, it's already almost evening."**

**I smiled at him. "I guess so. Arigatou gozaimasu…"**

**"Mimasaka Ayumu," he said, filling in the gap left in my sentence.**

**I sat up in the bed, holding my hand out. "Li Syaoran desu," I introduced myself, shaking his hand. He had a strong grip.**

**"Now…there's something I want to ask you. Do you remember anything that happened before you passed out?" he asked hesitantly.'**

That was all Syaoran saw in his dream. He closed the book with a sigh and gently pushed it back into his pocket. That didn't really reveal anything. Really, he had just been left with a cliffhanger, and he was dying to find out.

He glanced at the clock as he pulled the sheets over him again; three thirty. He set the alarm for eight in the morning and quickly lost himself to sleep.

* * *

**Hmm...am I moving things too quickly? I'm not sure. It's not my favourite chapter, though, for sure. Please tell me what you think in a review~~**

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**Review Replies for Dreams:**

**_Iceheartprincess-mhaya: _**Hmm. I love it too! ^^ Thanks for reviewing!

**_Mew Mew Kazusa: _**Yes! Like, imagine if they had something like sushi in McDonald's! XD Really! Fatty, greasy, deep-fried sushi?! XD I hope they keep to hamburgers there, too! Thanks for reviewing! :P

**_phoenix20000: _**Thanks for reviewing! (Whatever happened to punctuation and grammar? XD Wow, imma hypocrite. :P)

**_Nicolette Aka Nikki-Chan: _**Holy crap! I saw your review and had to gasp for air! XD It's almost as long as Tanubi's! XD But it makes me happy that you do in depth thinking about the story! (Yay! I'm not the only one! XD) You're ideas are really good, though, however random they may be. XD We shall see if they compare to the real story... And I do believe awesome suspense is on the way. :P

**_animesforever: _**Isn't it?

**_Kwalaa Bear: _**I take no hostility or offense to reviews like yours, so no worries. ^.^ I quite like them, actually. They're nice and honest. And yes...I am no Quentin Tarantino. Unfortunately. XD The humour thing was just that my other stories have lots of humour in like every chapter, so I just wanted to point out that this one would be different. Humour only when it's called for. Which is...not very often for this one. XD Thank you for reviewing! ^^ I hope you keep reading!

**_Hime Kimiko: _**Thanks for reviewing!

**_StaroftheBlackRose: _**Yes, the news tells all. XD So I just revealed it this chapter. And no, it is going to be a completely AU story. No magic or anything like that. And I do have a Fiction Press account, but that site makes me mad because you never get any reviews on it. XD

**_Ghostly Priestess Kikyo:_** Really, I don't even know how I can make five-page-long chapters. XD My other stories aren't really that long. It's strange. And...morbid is good. Right? XD

**_Tanuokami: _**Mmm. Double cheeseburgers. :D And your number so wasn't totally obvious! XD

**Thanks for reviewing, everyone! I hope you'll review this chapter too, or at least come back to read it!! XD **


	5. Positive Thinking

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter 5**

**_Positive Thinking_**

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**Sorry, it was a pretty long wait for this chapter. And last chapter was crappy, too. Well, I hope I made up for it with this chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You're the reason I still write~~Please enjoy! Oh, and my computer is being stupid and the way all the words are alligned are all messed up. Please excuse me as I proceed to beat my computer before whipping it out the window. :)**

* * *

The door shut noisily, waking Sakura from her sleep.

"Li…san?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you? I went out to buy fresh clothes, a wig for you, and glasses and coloured contacts," he explained, hanging up his coat. He had also gotten a coffee for himself. "Go get washed up and then we'll do this…"

Sakura stared at him for a second, then crawled out of her bed slowly. She didn't want to use coloured contacts or anything like that…

Syaoran noticed her worried face. "Don't worry, these are only temporary. We're going to visit my friend in the country, and you can take off our little disguise there."

Sakura sighed in relief. "Okay…" She took the clothes from Syaoran and went silently into the bathroom to have a quick shower and brush her teeth.

She stepped into the hot shower, grateful for finally being able to wash herself properly.

She wondered what kind of person Syaoran's friend would be. He lived in the country? Would that mean he's a farmer or something?

Sakura's thoughts flicked to her kiss with Syaoran the night before. She blushed thinking about it; he had done it to tease her, she was sure of it. That was how she thought of it.

Her mind wandered to the reason of her journey with Syaoran. Within the month, she was going to die. She should have been scared out of her mind, cowering away from Syaoran. But she didn't; she had basically made friends with him. However, she didn't feel all that happy, and it felt crappy.

She let the water fall onto her still body for a moment, and realized that she was missing her usual happiness and ultra positive thinking. She clenched her fists; now she felt like the water was washing away her negative thinking, and bringing back her sunny attitude. A smile formed on her face. She turned off the water and happily dried herself. Her sudden change in mood had happened so fast that it even confused her, but she knew one thing for sure: she was going to laugh and smile freely the rest of the trip, and not feel scared and weighed down.

Sakura came out of the shower, fresh and clean, ready to put on her new disguise. Syaoran handed her the blue coloured contacts, and she walked over to the dresser mirror to insert them. When she had finished, she asked Syaoran for the glasses.

"You almost seem eager to do this," he noted.

Sakura unfolded the glasses and smiled at him. "I know I said it before, but now my whole heart's in it when I say it. I'm going to enjoy my last days with every fiber of my being." She slid the glasses onto her face. "This trip isn't a bad thing anymore; now, it's an adventure! Well, maybe the whole dying part is kind of a bad thing, but…" She laughed at herself.

Syaoran watched, amazed, as Sakura sat smiling and humming while fiddling with the wig to put it on. This girl was so strange; everything she did was the exact opposite of every other girl. He could never predict her next move. He had thought she was pretty happy before; now, she was going to put her heart into enjoying it.

He smiled, realizing that his trip was going to be a lot more fun from that point.

Sakura turned to face him in full 'disguise'. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling the fake hair in her fingers.

Syaoran studied her new look; blue eyes, glasses, and a long black wig. The emerald eyes he loved so much still shone through the contacts, making them look even more natural. He smiled. "It's perfect. You'd never know it was you." He thought for a minute. "Now, we need to have a kind of role when we go out together. Any ideas?" he asked, drinking his coffee.

"I love acting!" Sakura exclaimed. "Hmm…how about husband and wife?"

Syaoran choked on his coffee. That was the first thing she went for?

"You look a little too young to be married," Syaoran told her, coughing to clear his throat of his hot drink.

"We're dating, then?"

"I guess that works…we'll say you're seventeen…and I'm nineteen," Syaoran ruled.

Sakura smiled. "Cool!"

Syaoran smirked. "Are you that eager to be my girlfriend?" he asked.

Sakura blushed, but shook it off. "Right now, I'm preparing for my role of your girlfriend. Please don't disturb me!"

Syaoran laughed. "Let's go test it by getting breakfast…" Syaoran quickly thought of a name. "Namikawa Sakura-chan."

"Why only my last name changed?" Sakura asked.

"So I don't blow it by accidentally calling you Sakura-chan," he explained. "And you, call me Syaoran-kun."

"Right!" Sakura was really excited now. It was like her death was a thing of the past-even though she was just walking into it by going along with Syaoran's plan. She really liked spending time with Syaoran, and would be at peace when she was killed, she was sure.

* * *

Syaoran and Sakura walked arm-in-arm to the breakfast place. Syaoran seemed to be calm, but Sakura couldn't help blushing a little bit.

They got a table for two; it was really a very fancy place. The hotel had three swimming pools, two hot tubs, three restaurants, each specializing in different foods, various other activities, and not to mention everything about the place was beautiful.

"How are you going to pay for this?" Sakura asked after they'd ordered, thinking about it for the first time.

"Don't worry; Ayumu gave me a credit card that I'm allowed to use for whatever I feel like," Syaoran replied.

"So…what exactly does Mimasaka-san do?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure, exactly. But what I do know is that he's the king of the underground. 'Illegal activities' are what get him his money," Syaoran explained, his eyes flashing a little. "In other words, he does lots of things."

Sakura thought about Ayumu. She never really thought people like that existed. But then again, she only got contact with the outside world when she begged or snuck away from bodyguards, so she wouldn't really know.

The waiter arriving with their breakfast snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. She gracefully started eating her omelet, her high class manners automatically kicking in. She had been scolded by maids, or rarely even her mother and father, whenever she had not eaten properly, and now it was second nature to her: back straight, head up, quietly cutting small pieces, and the common rule of elbows off the table.

Syaoran stared. Sakura suddenly looked so refined as she ate; she really was the daughter of Kinomoto Corp. She wasn't just an ordinary kid.

Sakura noticed Syaoran looking at her. "Uhh…force of habit. Does it look strange?"

Syaoran shook his head. "No. It makes you fit in better with the atmosphere around this place."

Sakura smiled. "Good! Oh, and that friend you said lives in the country-what's his name?"

"Hiiragazawa Eriol," Syaoran replied.

Sakura's eyes widened. _It couldn't be…not the same…but…she…his…_

"Is…something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Syaoran asked, noticing her expression.

"Oh, uhm, no. The name just-reminded me of someone I know. That's all."

"Right…" Syaoran couldn't say he fully believed her, but let it go.

They finished their breakfast, and Syaoran asked a bellhop to collect their things from their room. At the front desk, Syaoran checked out and the two started on their way to Hiiragazawa Eriol's house.

* * *

It was about an hour's drive to their next destination. Syaoran stopped at a self-serve gas station before they left the town.

Wearing the glasses made Sakura's eyes feel funny, and the contacts were making them feel dry. She tossed the glasses aside.

"Syaoran-kun!" she called out the window.

Syaoran jumped. It was the first time she'd actually called him 'Syaoran'. Until then, it had been 'Li-san'.

"Uh…yes!" he responded.

"Can you, uhm, buy me some eye drops?" she asked.

"Oh." He guessed it was because of the coloured contacts. "All right."

Sakura relaxed in her seat. She watched Syaoran go into the little store to pay for the gas and ask for eye drops. Feeling cramped and restless in the car, she stepped out to move around. The breeze also felt nice.

She noticed there were three people looking at her and whispering. Then one of them walked up to her.

"Uh…have I seen you somewhere before?" he asked, staring at her like she was an alien. She realized he was hiding a smile.

"No…" she said slowly.

"Are you wearing a wig?" he quipped, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Sakura blushed. "Uhm…" She glanced in the mirror of the car and noticed the breeze had blown some of the wig back! Her real hair was popping through!

Flustered, she quickly tried to straighten it again.

Now the other two people approached her as well. "I swear I've seen you…on the news?" one of the women asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Uhh…a wanted person? Missing? A runaway?" the younger women suggested.

Sakura tried to tell them it wasn't her, but all she could think was, _no! They know it's me! It's over! I'll have to go back to them-!_

A couple other people had gathered around them at this point. Sakura's head was spinning; she had no idea what to do!

"What's your-"

"Lay off, old man."

Everyone's attention turned to Syaoran, who was glaring at the crowd. He shouldered his way to Sakura.

"She's just a girl that likes to change her hairstyle sometimes." Syaoran put his arm protectively around her shoulders. "Kinda like you, eh?" he added to the older woman, who gasped and blushed as everyone looked to her head. As if on cue, the wind blew and the woman screamed and held her hair down before dashing away, embarrassed.

Syaoran waved his free hand, using the other to usher Sakura into the car. "Go away! My girlfriend has nothing to do with television, except that she likes to watch it. In fact, big crowds scare her. So you can all go home and feel guilty." He gave the crowd one last glower before getting into the car himself.

Sakura breathed in heavily, squeezing her chest. Syaoran comforted her quietly. The people bought the 'scared of big crowds' thing and walked away, looking stupid and ashamed.

However, Syaoran really _was _comforting her; Sakura had really been freaked out. He handed her a bottle of water and she drank it gratefully, relaxing back into her seat.

They reached the outskirts of town a few minutes later, and Syaoran gave the okay to take out the contacts. She did, and used the eyedrops.

After she had calmed down completely, Sakura gave Syaoran another big smile. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun," she said. "You really saved me back there!"

"No problem." Syaoran chuckled. "That's another reason you're so strange; usually people _want _to be found out when this sort of thing happens."

"Well, then. I'm glad I amuse you," Sakura giggled. "But to be quite honest, I'm having fun. I've always been cooped up or suffocated with bodyguards, but now I'm free, with the greatest bodyguard ever!"

Syaoran smiled. "Some bodyguard."

"Well, you are. You're guarding me while you deliver me to Mimasaka-san!" Sakura said.

"Oh…right."

Except, this was the point when Syaoran started thinking that he _didn't _want to bring Sakura to Ayumu.

* * *

They reached Hiiragazawa Eriol's house about twenty minutes later. When Syaoran was sure no one else was on the road, he started speeding. Sakura told him to stop a couple of times, but then gave in and stuck her head out the window, the wind rushing at her face. (By this time, her entire disguise had come off.)

Sakura giggled as they stepped out of the car. "That was so fun! But now I'm excited to meet Hiiragazawa-san." _To see if it's him. _

Syaoran smiled. "It's like we go against the forces of nature, huh? Feeling happiness and excitement on the way to your doom. And smiling as I say that."

Sakura smiled back at him.

They walked up the steps; it was a pretty big home, but cozy at the same time. A pretty typical beautiful house in the country. Syaoran knocked on the door, then invited himself in.

"Yo!" he called out. He took off his shoes and Sakura did the same. The walked into the kitchen, where a man about Syaoran's age sat with some coffee.

"Syaoran!" he cried, jumping up. The two hugged in the way guys do.

Sakura's eyes widened. It was him. The same Hiiragazawa Eriol that-

"Eriol?" a gentle voice called out. Sakura's heart almost stopped. She saw the dark haired, delicate-looking woman step into the room. "Oh-Syaoran-kun!" She approached him and gave him a hug.

No one had seen Sakura yet; she was still standing in the shadows. Syaoran beckoned for her to come.

The woman's face darkened. "You've brought your _work_ here again?" she asked coldly.

Sakura stepped into the light, shaking.

"T-Tomoyo," she stammered in a high pitched voice. Syaoran gave her a quizzical look, then looked at Eriol, who wore his usual unreadable smile. Like he knew what was happening.

Tomoyo's eyes widened.

"Sakura…?"

* * *

**Gasp! How do Tomoyo, Eriol and Sakura know each other? How do Tomoyo, Eriol and Syaoran know each other? All is to be found out in the next chapter-if you review! Please do! I hope you liked it! **

* * *

**Review Replies for Comfort:**

**_Thunderous-Ice-Storm: _**Thank you! ^^ I'm so glad you like it~~

**_Uvr-B1u5'd: _**You're welcome...and...you reviewed twice. XD But that's okay!

**_Ghostly Priestess Kikyo: _**Yes, it was disconnected. -_- Scattered everywhere. I was writing it all at different times, over a long period of time, and the result was that it was all jumbled. And it was fillerish too. I wanted to get in things like the way Sakura felt about it all and everything all in one chapter, and it came out all mixed up. T-T And about the phone call to Ayumu, with his personality, there wouldn't really be much suspense. He's a happy-go-lucky guy unless you make him made; always with a smile unless he's in a bad mood. Thank you for your review! ^^

**_Nicolette Aka Nikki-chan: _**Thanks. :3 And thank you for reviewing, too!

**_krazypig91: _**Thank you.

**_pikachu2510: _**Hmm, dying to read the next one? XD The perfect analogy for this story, huh? Heheh. Thank you~~

**Thank you all for reviewing~~I love you guys~~I hope you'll all keep reading~~**


	6. Do You Feel Safe?

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_**Do You Feel Safe?**_

* * *

**So…how does Sakura know Tomoyo and Eriol? How does Syaoran know Tomoyo and Eriol? What will happen? Read on! Hmm…is it just me, or is this chapter shorter than others…? And again-I'm so sorry that the allignment is all screwy. T-T This is so retarded...**

Tomoyo went pale when she realized why Sakura was with Syaoran. "Syaoran-kun…" she whispered. "Why…Sakura-chan?"

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "What? How do you two know Sakura?"

When neither of the women moved, Eriol stood up, smiling with a hint of discomfort. "Well, see…I kind of…stole Tomoyo-chan away from Sakura-san," he told Syaoran.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, stole?"

"I was…Sakura-chan's private tutor for a very long time," Tomoyo started cautiously. "We were the best of friends. Inseparable." Tomoyo smiled fondly as she recalled the memories. "And then Eriol began working as her english teacher. The three of us became fast friends. Being as Eriol and I are closer in age, it…turned into more for the two of us. And so we ended up eloping, disappearing into the night." She looked at her feet. "…Leaving Sakura-chan all alone."

Syaoran swerved his head back to Sakura; tears were spilling over her eyelids. But she didn't say anything.

"So we haven't talked in about two and a half years," Tomoyo finished, her own eyes glazed.

Sakura made a whimpering noise, and Syaoran rested his hand on her shoulder.

_Don't cry, _he thought. _Please. _

"Sakura-san…" Eriol said. "I'm very sorry…from the bottom of my heart…for taking Tomoyo-chan away from you…"

Sakura shook her head, rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

There was an eerie moment of silence between the group, only Sakura's grunts from her tears to be heard.

Syaoran couldn't take anymore of seeing Sakura cry. He decided to take charge of the situation.

"Well…Sakura and I need some rest, so…I'll just show myself to the guest room," he said, grasping Sakura's hand and guiding her down the hall.

When they reached the guest room, Syaoran sat Sakura down on the bed. He got up to get her a cloth to wipe her face with, but stopped when he felt a tug on his shirt.

Sakura had grabbed the back of it. "Sy…Syaoran…kun…" she murmured, slowly looking up to him.

Syaoran gently stepped back and sat down on the dark red bed.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. She nodded meekly. "Do you want to leave their house…?" She shook her head.

"I…want to stay…be with Tomoyo-chan again…like old times…" Sakura whispered.

Syaoran surprised Sakura by wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. "You're a good victim," he murmured. "You'll get extra attention from me."

Sakura smiled, even though the statement was rather morbid in the situation. As more tears slid down her face, she gripped his shirt.

"Thank you…Syaoran-kun…"

Syaoran thought about the girl trembling in his arms. How amazing she was. She was so strong and rough, but yet delicate and beautiful at the same time.

When he looked down at her, she had fallen asleep. Her tear-streaked face was finally peaceful, as it should always be.

Syaoran feared he was falling for the angel he held.

* * *

After laying Sakura down properly, Syaoran took a back door outside. He sat in the grass in the pouring rain, thinking about Sakura. Was it even possible for him to be in love with her? He laughed dryly to himself.

_I guess it is. _

Again, he laughed to himself. "She really shouldn't feel so safe with me…"

He thought about one of Ayumu's most important rules – 'Never fall in love with a victim.'

Syaoran sighed. How could Ayumu ever even think of that rule in the first place? It definitely wasn't common.

As the rain soaked through his clothes, Syaoran blinked as a possibility blew into his mind.

_Has Ayumu fallen in love with a victim before…? Was she as wonderful as Sakura…?_

"I wonder," Syaoran said to himself as he lay back in the wet, muddy grass, "if he ended up killing her?"

* * *

Syaoran staggered back into the house a while later, soaked to the bone. He avoided Tomoyo and Eriol, and went straight to the shower. He made the water steamy hot, a big change from the cold, ruthless rain outside.

When Syaoran made his way back to the guest room, Sakura was sitting in front of the fireplace. She stared into the flames, mesmerized.

"Sakura-chan?" Syaoran called to her. "When did you wake up?"

She snapped out of her trance, and looked up at Syaoran, smiling half-heartedly. "Oh…a while ago." She turned her attention back to the fire. "This place really is beautiful."

Syaoran walked over and plopped down next to her.

"Memories are painful, aren't they?" he said quietly.

"…Yes…" Her voice cracked, and Syaoran winced.

As soon as he had put his hand out, Sakura buried her face in his chest.

If it had been any other girl, he would have held her hair over the fire.

But for Sakura, he stroked her hair comfortingly.

Only for Sakura.

They heard the door creak open; Tomoyo and Eriol stood in the doorway, staring at the scene.

"Uhm…will you please…have some tea with us…?" Tomoyo asked nervously.

Syaoran glanced down at Sakura, who nodded lightly. He helped her up, and the four all walked out to the kitchen, where four cups of piping hot green tea sat on the table.

Everyone sat down in the awkward silence.

Tomoyo spoke first.

"Well…I really want to say…I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan," she whimpered.

Under the table, Sakura clutched Syaoran's shirt tightly. She nodded, staring into her tea.

Eriol was staring intensely into Syaoran's eyes, trying to read them.

"Is Sakura-san your next…?" he trailed off; everybody at the table knew how it would have finished.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. He swallowed before nodding once.

Eriol sighed. "I suppose that was obvious…"

Another moment of silence went by. Sakura took a sip of her tea.

"So…was that all?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Tomoyo sighed. "And you're welcome to stay here…as long as you want."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you."

As Syaoran and Sakura walked back to their room, he said, "That was rather pointless." Sakura didn't say anything.

She sat down on the bed. The room was cozy, what with the warm red colours and beautiful little fireplace across from the foot of the bed.

"Uhm…I'm sorry," she said.

Syaoran looked up, blinking. "For what?"

"I said I was gonna be happy and optimistic, and I was crying all day."

Syaoran couldn't help but laugh at her comment. "Oh, man…you sure are weird."

Sakura smiled, and hugged her knees to her chest. "So…how do you know Eriol-san and Tomoyo-chan?"

"Eriol's my cousin," Syaoran explained. Sakura blinked in surprise. "We go way back. And when they eloped, guess where they went?"

"…To you?" Sakura asked incredulously.

Syaoran grinned and nodded. "I'm just so reliable."

"And…Tomoyo-chan was okay with what you do?"

He shrugged. "I guess so…she never really says much about it." He looked at her. "I'm surprised it never connected between all of us, that he was your english teacher and all. I never thought that that Sakura would be you. Guess I'm lucky."

Sakura blushed. He was lucky…?

Syaoran stood. "Well, I guess I'll sleep on the floor…" He grinned cheekily. "Unless you'd rather sleep with me?"

"Of course you can sleep with me," Sakura said, countering his joke. She felt better, now that she was fooling around with Syaoran again.

"Don't mind if I do!" Syaoran jumped onto the big mattress, getting comfy under the covers.

Sakura turned out the lamp and snuggled under the blankets as well, the room lit by the fire.

After a moment, Syaoran said, "Wow, you were serious."

"Yep. I don't care," Sakura announced proudly.

Syaoran pushed the covers off of himself and rolled on top of Sakura. Her face turned bright red, her green eyes wide.

He looked at her intensely. "You shouldn't feel so safe with me, you know," he repeated again what had basically become his motto.

"Really?" Sakura replied, her confidence lowering a little.

"That's right," he whispered. Slowly, he unbuttoned the top of her shirt, then the next.

"Wha…what are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"Making you no longer feel safe," he responded.

Sakura's face turned darker still as he undid the next button.

Suddenly, he stopped, and got right into her face.

Nose to nose with her, he asked, "Do you still feel safe?"

Sakura gulped. "…Y-yes," she told him bravely.

He smiled slyly. He lowered his face even more, and caressed her lips with his. When they parted, Sakura was the darkest crimson Syaoran had ever seen.

The two just stared at one another in depth.

Finally, Syaoran breathed, "Do you still feel safe?"

It took a moment for Sakura to gather her breath. "More than ever. In fact…I think I'm falling in love with you," she told him bluntly.

* * *

**Meep! I hope you liked the chapter. ****:D Sorry if it was a bit short. More Ayumu dreams next chapter! I hope you review! And speaking of reviews—replies below. **

* * *

**Review Replies for Positive Thinking**

krazypig91: XD Thank you!

: Woohoo!

yingfa07: Why is the main comment always interesting? XDXD Thanks!

StaroftheBlackRose: I know, right? Can't have a fic without Tomoyo. XD

BunnyParfait: Hey, I'm only 13! What'd you expect? XDXD No worries, I love comments like yours. They inspire me so much~thank you~

Nicolette-Aka-Nikki-chan: Nope! This is a magic free story! Sorry! Well, if you count the magic of love...XD How corny!

Lynn C: At least I'm not as cold-blooded as Ayumu! BE AFRAID! XD

SakuraS41: Why thank you!

Keep Fire Burning Nigh: Wow...interesting name!

pikachu2510: I bet you really want to know what happens next now, too...NEHEHEHEH.

Ghostly Priestess Kikyo: Heheh-they have to have friends! Because friends create drama! XD And I wanted to make Sakura a really optimistic person, so that she could keep up with Syaoran and not be all 'eeeek, let me gooo you monsterrr' XD They're annoying! And wouldn't make a good story!

Tanuokami: OMG! Are you on crack? Why didn't you go into your infamous Tanubi detail-? XDXDXD

Annzy: Heheh! Glad ya liked it. But...when did I ever say TOMOYO was in love with a killer? XD

DestinyCharmer: Thank you!

**Thank you all~~I hope you review this chapter, too~~I'm so glad you all like this story! **


	7. Confession

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

**Confession**

* * *

**Well…so sorry for the long update. ****:( I got sick…again. Why me? Geez. XD Not that I mind staying home once in a while…****neheheh…but I had some soup earlier…and I put hot sauce in it to add more flavour…and I ruined it. T-T Oh well. At least I have root beer…**

**So, enough of random ramblings. Enjoy the chapter, dear readers! :D Oh yes...and so sorry about the allignement yet again. :(**

* * *

Syaoran stared incredulously at the girl before him. Had she really just admitted that she loved him…?

"Syaoran…kun…?" Sakura squeaked, feeling a wave of embarrassment come over her. Had she said the wrong thing, maybe…?

Syaoran blinked slowly. His fingers trembled. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to just snatch her away and have her all to himself, and forget all about Ayumu and Kinomoto Corp…

Sakura's fingers lightly grazed his cheekbone, snapping him back to reality. Both hearts were drumming eagerly, almost painfully. They just lay there, like that, for what felt like an eternity.

Syaoran finally managed to speak. "Sakura…" he whispered.

He lowered his head, and locked his lips with hers again, letting all of his worries go. At that moment, he didn't care about the Kinomoto Corporation. He didn't care about Mimasaka Ayumu.

At that moment, he cared about Sakura.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and let them slide down to his chin. She felt at peace, and was sure then that she didn't want to leave this man's side.

They pulled away, panting slightly, when the door creaked open.

Syaoran, squinting from the sudden exposure to the light, looked over to see Tomoyo. She was gaping in horror, her whole arm shaking as it gripped the door knob. Neither of them knew what to say.

Tomoyo made a few whimpering noises, and footsteps walked rhythmically down the hall. Eriol slipped into the scene, putting his arm around Tomoyo's waist. "What's wrong…?" he started, but stopped when he followed the girl's gaze into the room. His face darkened. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Syaoran blinked, his mouth hanging open, searching for the right answer. But Sakura came to his rescue…sort of.

"Whatever you're thinking, I'm sure it's wrong," she stated nervously.

"Syaoran…what are you doing…to my Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo squeaked angrily.

Syaoran's eyebrows creased, confused. He still didn't know what to do, or what to say.

Slowly, he moved off of Sakura. They stared at each other, neither of them moving. Tomoyo padded over and dragged Sakura off the bed, and out of the room.

Syaoran made a move to follow, but Eriol held out a hand to stop him. He walked out after Tomoyo, leaving Syaoran alone.

Syaoran leaned against the headboard, wondering what would happen next. He stared out the window; the rain was still coming down hard. So much had happened that day. Too much.

He grabbed his hair, frustrated beyond belief. He had no idea of what to do. He couldn't just not show up at Ayumu's. He would hunt be hunted down. But he also couldn't just bring Sakura to him, either.

_Maybe…if I asked him if I could…keep Sakura…_Syaoran thought helplessly, knowing that Ayumu would never agree to that.

He sighed. Basically, it was all Sakura's fault that Syaoran was in this mess. But Syaoran nearly laughed at himself for thinking that; he could never really believe that. Despite the situation, Syaoran was happier than ever before because he'd met Sakura.

Syaoran clenched his fists. He vowed that he wouldn't let Ayumu have Sakura. No matter what it took

* * *

Syaoran's cell phone awoke him. The caller-ID told him it was Ayumu, which was perfect as he had just had another dream. He flipped it open.

"Yo," he greeted, rubbing his eyes.

"Syaoran-chan." Ayumu's voice sounded a little bit whiny, impatient. "Are you near Hokkaido yet?"

Syaoran sighed. "No, sorry."

"How long would you say it will take you? It's boring here, with no one to play with." Ayumu chuckled, and Syaoran picked up a dangerous tone in it. "I can't wait to meet Sakura-chan."

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence settled in; Syaoran was confused. Why had the mood changed to this so suddenly? It definitely had something to do with Sakura, which worried Syaoran. He thought Ayumu had figured out who Sakura really was…but if he had, wouldn't he say something?

_Ayumu…do you have some connection with Sakura…?_

"Why would you say that?"

Syaoran snapped back to reality, cursing himself. He had asked the question out loud accidentally. He gulped.

"Oh, uhm…just wondering…" he said, still mentally kicking himself.

Another silence closed in, and Syaoran grew more suspicious. Maybe Ayumu really did have a connection to Sakura?

"No, it's nothing. I don't know her," Ayumu snapped suddenly.

Syaoran's eyes widened. "Ah…sorry…"

"Anyway, just…try and pick up the pace, please?"

Syaoran nodded, forgetting he was on the phone. "Yes." A long beep followed; Syaoran set his phone down, and reached for the little notebook.

As he wrote, Syaoran was increasingly disturbed by how Ayumu took his question. But he knew one thing for sure: the killer knew Sakura somehow. And it didn't feel like he knew her from any TVs or tabloids.

* * *

Syaoran sighed and scanned the page, adding a few more details here and there. His history with Ayumu was getting clearer.

**'I stared at the man before me, a bead of sweat rolling down my neck. I did remember what I'd seen the night previous. He had murdered a girl violently in the comfort of his home.**

**I shook my head. "No," I lied, my voice cracking. **

**His gaze was ice cold, and pierced my own. He didn't believe me. **

**He reached over and touched my head. I almost jerked away, but managed to contain myself. **

"**That's quite a bump you've got there," he whispered into my ear. I shivered. **

"**S-sorry…for troubling you…" I whimpered, feeling queasy. I remembered last night more clearly now; it replayed and replayed in my mind. I covered my hand with my mouth. "Excuse me…"**

**Ayumu pointed the way to the bathroom, and I dashed down the hall. He watched as I threw up; even more proof that I was lying to him. **

**When I was finished, he casually handed me a glass of water. I drank it nervously, my heart pounding against my chest. He led me back to his living room and offered me a seat. I sat down hastily, trying not to look into his eyes. **

"**Good night, Syaoran-san," I heard him murmur. My head snapped up to look at him, disturbed by his words. **

**But then, my eyelids suddenly got heavier and heavier, and I found myself falling asleep. He had put sleeping powder in my drink!**

* * *

**When I came to, there was a light source above me. I looked up slowly; Ayumu was kneeling down, staring at me with pleasure. I realized I was underground – in a cellar or something. **

"**What…are you doing…?" I asked groggily. **

**He smiled. "You should feel lucky. I am going to let you be my…friend."**

"**What…I don't…want to be…" I choked out, becoming increasingly more afraid. "Murde…"**

**Before I could finish the word, Ayumu's smile turned to a glare and he reached down and tied a cloth around my mouth. Then another around my eyes, and even my nose. **

"**Sssh, Syaoran…" he cooed. Then he chuckled darkly and put what felt like earmuffs on my head. They must have been the kind construction workers use – to block out all the sounds of the noisy machines. **

**Everything suddenly got darker; I guessed he had closed the trap door. I tried to move, but I was being held down. I was still sleepy from the drink earlier; I couldn't even tell which way was up or down. I tugged at whatever bound me, but it was no use. **

**It was cold and wet. I didn't know if it was water or mud or anything else; my senses had almost been completely cut off. **

**Eventually I gave in and drifted off to sleep.**

* * *

**Where is this? How long have I been here? Who am I? Will I get out? It's cold. I think I'm hungry. Ouch…I can't move. I'm tied down by something. Why am I in here? What's happening? Is anybody else in here? **

* * *

**Something stirred the darkness. I looked up. Was I dead? Was I in heaven? Hey, who is that? **

**A shadowy figure loomed in the light. It reached down and untied the cloth around my eyes. He was a handsome man, smiling down at me. It felt like I knew him from somewhere. Hmm…**

**Next, he removed a cloth that was around my mouth, took off the earmuffs I was wearing, and also untied what was around my nose. **

**I stared up at the man, amazed. So many different things to take in. I blinked away from the light at first, but then I soaked it all up. I inhaled the wondrous scents wafting from the space above me. I listened to birds chirping and the wind moving the leaves…**

**Then the man did something to what bound me – I could move my arms now! He put down a bowl of food in front of me. I looked at him with wide eyes. **

"**You can eat this, Syaoran-chan," he told me, smiling as he ruffled my hair. "It's good."**

**I just looked at the food for a little while, then finally picked up the spoon and started shoving the soup into my mouth. I handed the bowl back when I was finished. **

**The man chuckled, and I smiled, too. He patted my head again, then grabbed the handle of the door. **

"**I'll see you again soon, Syaoran-chan, okay?" **

**I nodded, a little confused. What had just happened? What had been happening…?**

**It looks like I can trust that man, anyway.'**

* * *

Syaoran knew exactly what Ayumu had done now. Although there was still more dreams to come, at least now he knew how Ayumu had coaxed him into his job.

It was a common brainwashing technique – well, common if you brainwash people a lot. He had seen many crime documentaries that explained it. You keep a person in a dark, dirty place with basically no senses, and certainly no human contact. If you keep someone like that for long enough, they will kind of…forget everything. From there, the captor will give small portions of light and kindness, eventually bringing them out of the 'dungeon' and retrain them to think like they are wished to.

Therefore, they are 'brainwashed'.

Syaoran rubbed his temples. He hadn't even considered that he had been 'brainwashed' by Ayumu. He sighed. He decided he wouldn't do much yet; he'd wait for the rest of the dreams to come to him, discover his full history with Ayumu…and then he would face him.

Syaoran put his head in his hands. It embarrassed him to have been in a state like that. Kept as a prisoner, treated – and acted – as though he were a poor child, touched by a rich man's kindness.

"I can't believe he went to such extremes…" he muttered to himself.

After pondering his dream, he remembered what had happened with Sakura and the others. What had they done with her?

He stood up and opened the door slowly. As he walked past a window in the hallway, he was surprised to see it was already getting dark again.

When he reached the kitchen, Syaoran saw Eriol sitting at the table with a coffee in hand. They exchanged a glance, and Syaoran sat down.

A silence passed between them.

"Syaoran…what exactly happened…with you and Sakura-chan?" Eriol finally asked.

Syaoran was stunned slightly at first, but smiled. He shook his head.

Eriol took a sip of his coffee calmly. They looked at one another for a few minutes, silent understanding passing between the cousins.

"Sakura-chan and Tomoyo-chan went out…"

Another sip of coffee.

Then Eriol sat forward.

"Tell me the truth," he said quietly. "Are you in love with Sakura-chan?"

Syaoran looked down, sighing. After a moment, he put his face in his hand. Then he looked up over the top of his fingers at the dark haired man in front of him.

"Yes," he whispered.

* * *

**Teehee ~ a true, certain confession! To someone other than himself! :D And gasp – Ayumu BRAINWASHED Syaoran! Mwahaha! I wonder if you saw that one coming? Tell me in a review! ;) Thanks!**

**Review Replies for Do You Feel Safe:**

Ihaine07: LOL I laughed when I saw the 'seductive prey act' thing. XD

Thunderous-Ice-Storm: Oh, I hope I didn't make you wait too long for an update...:D Yes...Syaoran should just make his move...but if he doesn't...will you get mad? AND REVIEW WITH YOUR ANGER? XDXD Don't mind me...

BunnyParfait: Whoa...I just got like a blast of Shakespeare from your review...or something...XD Thanks for reviewing~

Jasmine: :D Isn't it!

Starflex: Whoa! A one-sentence update consisting of implied sensuality? I think not! XDXD

krazypig91: That was...a good 'oh...' right?

SakuChan: Don't you love the fact that it could possibly be politically incorrect, but you love it anyway! XD I also love reviews - thank you! :3

brightestoflights: Well...thank you...although I wouldn't call this update 'soon'...eheh...sorry...thanks for reviewing! :P

Anonymous: Your mom!

uvr-b1u5'd: Whoaa big category. XD Well err two out of five is good, right? And don't count on a rating change! XD I'm 13, I don't write stories for 18+! XDXD (possibly read some maybe...or manga with 'mature content'...but I don't write em!) Thanks so much for reviewing! XD I hope it satisified you in some other way!

Yingfa07: Yay, a good chapter! X3 Not just interesting this time! Heheheh...and do YOU think Eriol and Tomoyo would let Syaoran put Sakura to death? Do you even think Syaoran would let Syaoran put Sakura to death! XD

michiko14: Hmm you liked it did you? :3 I hope you liked this one too...

Aki-Chan: Whoaaaaa there horsie! She ain't losin' nothin' to nobody! XD Read the response to uvr-b1u5'd!

orangelover: *plays dramatic music*

Kimmygoldenangel: Well - I can't resist the baby talk :P (Yes I can but XD)

**Thanks everyone for reviewing!**


	8. Facts

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

**_Facts_**

**Here's chapter eight! Sorry for the wait. :D That rhymed! The crime show that Sakura watches in this chapter was based on one I saw myself. The murder actually took place where I live. O.o But it was in the late eighties. And it was cool cause otherwise nobody cares about my city. :D It was actually one of two things that inspired this story. The other was also a crime show on the History Channel…about a guy that killed kids. O.o Well…at least this story was born, right?! **

**Thanks to everyone who reviews ~ :D And as always, sorry for the allignment screw ups. :(**

* * *

Sakura was sitting at a restaurant table, sipping her root beer meekly under Tomoyo's strange stare. It had been silent for a while.

Finally, Sakura gathered enough courage to speak. "T-Tomoyo-chan…"

Tomoyo cut her off sharply. "What are you thinking, Sakura?" she hissed, leaning forward. Sakura winced. "Syaoran _kills _people. Don't you get that? And that's his plan for you, too."

Sakura looked down, studying the pattern on the table, her lip trembling. "I know, but…"

"There are no _buts _in this situation, Sakura. He'll kill you and that's the end of it." She hesitated. "And yet you think you _love _him?" she added in a harsh whisper.

Sakura looked up at Tomoyo. "You…you're the one that doesn't tell anyone that he's a…so-called murderer."

"So-called? He _is _a murderer."

"You house him. You're friends with him. How can you criticize me?" Sakura asked, frowning.

They locked gazes for a few moments, but the waiter bringing them their orders broke it. Sakura had ordered a simple hamburger, and Tomoyo the cream of mushroom soup. She picked up the spoon and half-heartedly began eating. Sakura stared at her burger before picking it up and nibbling on it. Tomoyo rarely ever got mad at her, and she hated it when she did.

"I can't help it…if I love him," Sakura said in a whisper.

Tomoyo lifted her amethyst eyes. "Even if he plans to slit your throat, chop you up, and burn the remains so no one can ever find you?"

Sakura winced. "…Yes…"

Tomoyo sighed.

"Syaoran-kun said…that his friend Ayumu does the killings…not him…" Sakura added hopefully.

"Does that make a difference, Sakura? Will that change the fact that you're on your journey to hell – literally?" Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura's eyes were blurring. This was the first time the fact that she was going to be killed was being so forcefully shoved into her face. Like it was slowly becoming a reality…a reality she desperately wanted to deny. She just wanted to be with Syaoran forever…she didn't want to die.

She quickly wiped away a tear that had nearly escaped. The fact that is was Tomoyo doing the shoving made it worse than it needed to be.

When Sakura didn't reply, Tomoyo sighed and called for the bill. The two started driving back to the house silently. Tomoyo kept looking over at Sakura, as if to make sure she was still there.

After a while, she whispered, "I just don't want you to get hurt, Sakura-chan…we finally meet again, and I end up being angry with you…"

"It's okay, Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura mumbled, staring at her feet.

Tomoyo desperately wanted to reply, 'No, its not,' but she decided to keep her mouth shut.

* * *

Eriol's gaze was locked with Syaoran's. Tension crackled in the air.

"Are you sure about that?" Eriol asked.

Syaoran only nodded.

Eriol sat back after another moment. "Very well, then…"

Syaoran hesitantly took a sip of the coffee. "…You really care about Sakura."

"She's like a little sister to me. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. But with you…" He eyed Syaoran, looking deep into the amber orbs. "I don't think I could stop that."

Syaoran clenched his fist. "I…"

"What do you really plan to do with her?" Eriol quipped, leaning forward again. "Have you thought about that?"

A drop of sweat rolled down Syaoran's cheek.

Eriol narrowed his eyes. "Syaoran, you're my cousin. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, either. And I know that whatever you do with Sakura, it will somehow go back to Mimasaka. And who knows what he'll do."

"She won't die," Syaoran said with finality, through clenched teeth. "Whatever happens, I won't let her die."

For the first time that evening, Eriol smiled at his cousin. He held out his hand and Syaoran slapped it, also smiling.

"I'll trust you with that," Eriol told him.

Syaoran nodded.

The door opened abruptly, making both men jump a little. They both turned to see Tomoyo and Sakura marching down the hall silently. Tomoyo walked straight over to her room, but Sakura faltered in the kitchen, looking at Eriol and Syaoran. After a long stare at Syaoran, she also padded off to her room.

Eriol and Syaoran exchanged a glance, wondering what could have happened between the two. But Syaoran had a sinking feeling that he was the cause.

* * *

Sakura curled up on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

_I don't…want to die…_

That was probably the first time that thought had really entered her mind. She had told Syaoran she would enjoy her last days…but Tomoyo's words stuck in her head.

"_Even if he plans to slit your throat, chop you up, and burn the remains so no one can ever find you?"_

_Syaoran wouldn't do that…he wouldn't do that to me…_

_Would he?_

She glanced at the night table; the TV remote sat crooked on the dark surface. She gently picked it up and flipped it on. It was the History Channel.

Sakura's eyes went round when she saw that it was a crime show.

'_Fritton told his family at the dinner table that he had killed a girl. He explained that he broke her legs and cut off each of her fingers before decapitating her. His son couldn't take it anymore, and secretly notified police.'_

Sakura's lip was trembling.

'_Fritton's home was surrounded by police the next day, but he had somehow escaped. He made his way back to the place where the body was, but police vehicles spotted him and followed him discreetly. He entered a forest, and some officers went in after him. He led them straight to the body, whose dental records met those of the missing girl. _

'_This murder was a vicious one. Fritton was arrested and confessed…'_

Sakura watched until the end of the program, her wide eyes never leaving the television. When it was over, she decided to go to sleep. She crawled under the covers and pulled them over her head.

* * *

Sakura's eyes flew open. She realized she had been crying in real life as well as in her nightmare. Nervously, she rubbed her eyes. Shaking her head, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood on her feet. She opened the door of the bedroom, and saw light coming from the kitchen. She wasn't the first one up.

Carefully, she walked into the other room. Eriol was just getting up as well, yawning and stretching as he stepped out of his room. He smiled at Sakura when he noticed her.

Syaoran and Tomoyo were already up. Tomoyo stood at the stove, cooking breakfast. Syaoran sat at the table, looking bored as he read the newspaper. It was clear not much more than 'good morning' had passed between the two.

"Hey…morning, guys," Eriol greeted as he took his seat at the table.

Sakura remained standing, her eyes locked on Syaoran. Her dream – nightmare – from the night came flooding back to her.

Syaoran looked up at her.

_He had taken Sakura into the forest. _

He smiled warmly at her.

_Slowly, he picked up a big stick. He cautiously stepped toward her, raising the stick. _

_Then he swung it down sharply, connecting with her leg. She screamed out in pain. He hit it again and again until it snapped. He laughed, and then proceeded to do the same with the other leg. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing. _

"Good morning," he said.

_He grabbed her hands and sawed off each of her fingers. He held her chin up to make her look into his amber eyes. He grinned wolfishly as she cried and whimpered. Tomoyo's words were running through her mind, as well as the TV program. He grabbed her hair roughly._

"_Sakura," Syaoran said, caressing her face with his blood-soaked hand. _

"What's wrong?" he asked, standing up and moving towards her.

Sakura was shaking, her eyes round, sweat beading on her forehead.

"Sakura," Syaoran said, reaching out to touch her.

"_You, my dear, have just been kidnapped." _

"_You're going to die."_

"_Don't feel so safe with me."_

Her heart was pounding.

"_Even if he plans to slit your throat, chop you up, and burn the remains so no one can ever find you?" _

"_He explained that he broke her legs and cut off each of her fingers before decapitating her."_

"_Sakura…"_

"Sakura!"

"D-don't touch me!" she suddenly shrieked, slapping his hand away. She stepped back, holding onto the doorframe for support. Her head was spinning, and she really didn't want to fall over just then.

Shocked silence fell over the room. No one dared to move, or even breathe.

Sakura slowly looked at the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand and dashed back into her room.

Syaoran watched her run away, but didn't try to stop her. His mouth hung open as he looked down at his hand, which she had hit away. He clenched it into a fist.

He laughed without humour. "I guess…she's finally taking my advice…"

* * *

**Aww. Poor Syaoran. :( Let's all feel sorry for him in reviews. :D And in case you were confused, Sakura was remembering her dream when the words were in italics in the kitchen. ;D**

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* * *

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**Review Replies for Confession:**

Starflex: Heheh! :D Cliffhangers make people more serious in reviewing...I love 'em. :D And thank you for saying I have great talent for my age. :3 I thought maybe it was creepy to write a story like this when I'm only 13. XD Thank you so much ~

Qiara: Lol! You spelt disease right, don't worry! XD Heheh, I changed the name of chapter 7. :P It's better now. Thanks for reviewing. :D

BunnyParfait: Hell yeah you should be terrified! :D Nyeheheh.

kimmygoldenangel: Yay! I love it! A review! Again! :D Let's keep it up on both ends, shall we? ;D

yingfao07: Syaoran's 20 now, and he was 19 when he was brainwashed, close to turning 20. :3 Thanks for reviewing!

pikachu2510: Yeah, it works, I read up on it...and it was in an episode of Ghost Whisperer ;D Ahem, uhh, yeah...I totally...didn't try it...o.O Gotta go, bye!

KwalaaBear: Stockholm syndrome, hmm? I think it started in the first World War. That's what they did to like their hostages or something. And just so you know, you're review sent a blast of plot into my head. ;D Thank you for that. And I hope you liked this chapter! :D

imjustme: Times four? Four people reading my story, maybe? :D Yay! If I'm wrong...one person reading my story? Yay! :D

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! :D Please keep doing so ~ reviews drive me to write more. :3**


	9. Hunting

************

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

__

**Hunting**

* * *

**Oh my god, sorry for the wait!!!!! D: I had like a little dose of writer's block. Sad face. ****:( And you know what I found out the other day? I've been using the word 'quip' wrong for the longest time. O.o I thought it was like another word for 'ask', but it's like a joke or something. Definitely not a question word. Ugh. I'm stupid.**

* * *

Tomoyo knocked gently on Sakura's door. Hearing a sniffle, she slowly opened it. "Sakura…?"

She was on the floor in front of the fireplace, hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tomoyo made her way over to Sakura and knelt down beside her. "Are you…okay?" she asked quietly.

Sakura nodded meekly. "…Fine…"

Tomoyo chewed her lip, her stomach twisting into knots. "…You…changed your mind about…Syaoran-kun…?"

Sakura's lip trembled. "You were right…about him, Tomoyo-chan." She looked up at Tomoyo, forcing a smile. "He's only with me to kill me. I won't…love him anymore."

Tomoyo's brow furrowed. She nodded curtly, and quickly left the room, moving into her own.

She closed the door behind her, and slid down to the floor, staring straight ahead. Sakura had finally come to her senses. She realized that Syaoran only wanted to kill her, and it was his job. They had met simply because she was his prey.

This was for Sakura. Tomoyo's only wish was for her to be happy and safe. The pain Sakura felt now was for the best. She would get over it, and find someone better, with better intentions. This was what Tomoyo had been trying to tell her, and it had finally gotten through to her that she was in danger. It was what Tomoyo had wanted.

"I've done the right thing," she whispered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "I've done the right thing. What I did was right. It was for Sakura. It was for Sakura, and for Syaoran. For their own good. I did the right thing."

She fisted her hands, scraping the shaggy carpet. But now, filled with regret, she wasn't so sure. This situation was only making everyone unhappy. Sakura, Syaoran…even herself.

********

* * *

'**I heard creaking and thumping sounds above me, and looked up eagerly when the door slowly started to open, letting the daylight leak into my little chamber. I couldn't help myself from beaming at the kind man as he smiled warmly at me. He had been feeding me a lot, and I hadn't been in any bindings lately, and he would let me soak in the sunlight from my dark room occasionally. **

**Today, however, he reached his arm down into the cell. I looked up at him, confused. He chuckled. "Go on, take my hand. I'll pull you out of that musty old place."**

**My eyes shining, I firmly grasped his hands. He led me out and I couldn't help but stare in longing out the sliding glass door to the clear, sunny blue sky. He helped me to stand properly, and I was a little wobbly at first, but I was walking firmly on my own in no time. **

**We sat on the couch together. He told me his name was Mimasaka Ayumu, but I could call him Ayumu. **

**I felt a little bit embarrassed asking, but I said, "And…what is…my name, Ayumu?"**

"**Your name is Li Syaoran. And you're going to be my partner," he told me, still smiling charmingly. He had very nice teeth, straight and white.**

**I nodded eagerly, excited. His partner for what? I wanted to find out! "What am I going to be your partner for?"**

"**Ah, ah, ah," he cooed as he handed me a plate of meat, vegetables and potatoes. "All in due time, Syao-chan."**

**I nodded obediently and ate the food gratefully. When I was finished Ayumu let me go outside. I took in a deep breath of fresh, crisp air and rolled around in the grass for a little while until Ayumu called me back in a lead me back to my room under the floor. **

**The next few days, at least I thought it was a few days, went like that.'**

* * *

_Great,_

Syaoran thought, _another dream. Just what I need right now._ He quickly scribbled it into his little green notebook and stashed it away again.

He washed his face quickly and brushed his teeth in the bathroom. By the time he was finished, Eriol was in the kitchen. As soon as their eyes met, both minds turned to Sakura.

Eriol set the newspaper down, carefully folding it. "Syaoran, what happened?"

Syaoran ran his fingers through his hair, agitated, feeling like he could cry. "I don't know, man, I don't know…" He was confused and frustrated, trying to figure out why Sakura had had a sudden change of heart. Was she really afraid of him now…? He shook his head. "I don't know…" He stood and left the kitchen, throwing himself down on the couch. This was where he'd slept last night, not wanting to disturb Sakura…in any way.

His head facedown on his pillow, he went over everything in his head. And he soon came to the conclusion that it was better for Sakura to feel this way about him. He was, after all, taking her across the country so she could be murdered. With Sakura fearing and hating Syaoran, she would be that much easier to kill, right? It would be easier for everyone. And it would bring the world back into order. The victim shouldn't feel so attached to the hunter. The victim should have absolute negative feelings toward the hunter.

Right. It's better this way.

Tomoyo stepped into the living room, giving Syaoran a meaningful look.

"Good morning, Tomoyo-chan," he said, sitting up straight again.

She nodded in acknowledgement. After a breath of hesitation, she spoke. "You should talk to Sakura-chan," she suggested.

Syaoran turned his gaze to the floor for a brief moment, then stood abruptly, surprising Tomoyo. He dragged his gaze up to meet hers.

"…All right."

He made his way over to Sakura's room—well, his room too.

Eriol placed his hands on Tomoyo's shoulders and squeezed them gently. Leaning back into his chest, she sighed. "It'll be okay, Tomoyo," Eriol murmured, sliding his hands down and crossing them at her stomach, pulling her close.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked softly, tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. "I told Sakura that Syaoran was dangerous…it's my fault if their both unhappy for the rest of their lives."

Eriol smiled. "If I know Syaoran, and you know Sakura-chan, then we should both know they'll pull through. Most likely with their arms around each other."

Tomoyo sighed again, reaching up to twirl a strand of her husband's dark, navy hair between her slim, pale fingers. "How did we go from being opposed to this pairing to supporting it fully?"

Eriol smiled, turning the raven-haired girl to face him. "Because we're good judges of character, you and I. And we can tell when things like 'love' are serious. And in this case…"

"They are serious," she finished for him, cracking a smile. She thanked him lightly, and he caressed her lips with his own.

* * *

Sakura was sitting in her room at the foot of her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The door clicked and slowly creaked open. She glanced over towards the doorway.

Syaoran stepped cautiously towards her. Sakura's heart nearly stopped as she remembered her dream. He was sauntering over to her then just as he was now. Her muscles tensed.

Syaoran knelt down beside her, looking into her eyes. He raised his hand and softly stroked her cheek; they went red and she stiffened, her eyes wide and fearful.

His eyes softened. "Sakura…" he whispered.

She was trembling. A tear escaped her eye. Syaoran closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to let it shudder, and exhaled.

It's better this way…it's better this way.

He looked away from her and got to his feet. He stood there for a moment, taking in another breath, and then quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Syaoran collapsed in a chair in the kitchen, putting his face in his hands. When he looked up again, Eriol was beside him, his eyes sympathetic. He smiled sadly. "Why don't we go out for a drink?"

* * *

The two men sat at the bar, sipping beer. Syaoran ran a hand through his hair.

Eriol side glanced at him. "It didn't go so well, huh…"

Syaoran shook his head. "I don't understand…" he mumbled. He took another small sip of his drink. "But I've been thinking…it's probably better this way. She shouldn't like me. She certainly shouldn't love me. It's just…bad."

As Syaoran continued to try and convince himself of this, Eriol was hoping his friend would soon come to his senses.

* * *

The next day, shortly after noon, Eriol and Syaoran went out hunting. They drove away from the house for safety reasons, and so the gunshots wouldn't annoy the two women in the house. Eriol and Tomoyo's house was surrounded by forest. Eriol loved to go hunting, and it was tradition for Syaoran to go with him every time he visited his cousin.

Today, though, it was a solemn trip. Sakura was still holed up in her room, still frightened by Syaoran. He was quiet for the whole car ride, but Eriol didn't try to start any conversation.

They found a good spot to park the car, and unloaded the guns. The familiar shotgun fit nicely into his hands, and he found he was able to lighten up a little as he stood near his friend, listening for deer. But only temporarily.

The leaves ahead of them crunched, and a beautiful doe stepped into sight. Syaoran raised his gun, the blood pumping in his ears. Eriol did the same as another deer trotted into view. He let four shots go, missing every time.

Syaoran watched on as the deer frantically rushed to get away. He aimed for the doe, and pulled the trigger. The blood pounded in his ears, and it was all too easy to imagine the doe as Sakura.

_I do this too much. I take life. And yet I have no right. I follow a man's orders, I'm a horrible man's puppet. A man I don't even trust, who locked me away for who knows how long. And I take life. _

_I can't remember my life before Ayumu. It's all a blur. I try not to remember. It would hurt too much. _

Another painfully loud gunshot as the deer collapsed, blood gushing from its chest.

_I remember going to school. I wonder what for? _

The other deer, the smaller one, fled. Eriol rushed over to the dying herbivore, and ended its misery quickly.

Syaoran watched on with lifeless eyes. He was used to witnessing terrible deaths. This one didn't come close to what he had seen, though. Try as he might to block out the painful memories, he couldn't. But he probably didn't want to.

When Eriol finished cleaning up, Syaoran said, "I've had enough hunting for today."

Eriol studied the chocolate haired man before him. He nodded slowly.

As they hauled the corpse back to the car, Syaoran was still thinking about his life. Ayumu. Sakura. His slurred past. The murders. His head spun as he mulled everything over in the car.

He was brought back to reality when the car stopped in Eriol's driveway. He stepped out of the vehicle and studied the deer. He stroked her fur, and looked into her lifeless eyes. Her last moments must have been terrible…

Gears seemed to be working hard in Syaoran's brain. Many things clicked at once, and he decided, quite suddenly, that this wouldn't be Sakura's fate. She wouldn't die hating Syaoran. Fearing him.

He loved her. And he wanted her to love him back. No fear, no hatred, no death. He wanted a happy ending. He almost laughed out loud at himself for even daring to wish for a 'happy ending'. He knew it wouldn't be possible, not to the full extent…

…But he could try.

He smiled mischievously at Eriol, who blinked in surprise, but grinned back quite suddenly. Syaoran ran towards the front door; Eriol leaned coolly against the side of the car, relieved his cousin had finally come to his senses.

* * *

Sakura was thinking about Syaoran. The possibilities and the impossibilities. She forced herself to think in a politically correct way. He should end up in jail!

But of course, she didn't really want him in jail. She wanted him to be with her. Always.

She ruffled her hair harshly. She hated this! She hated feeling so confused, and so frustrated!

She gasped in alarm when the door was thrown open roughly and Syaoran strode into the room. He held his hand out to her. "Come with me."

Without thinking, she immediately grasped his hand and stood shakily. He pulled her out to his car and they both got in.

They drove for a couple minutes, minutes that passed by in silence. Suddenly, Syaoran turned to the right and drove into the forest. He had to have known where he was because there was a hidden path behind the bushes and a clearing.

They stopped abruptly after a bumpy ride through the trees. Syaoran cut the engine and looked Sakura square in the eye. Her heart was pounding; she didn't know what to think!

He reached into the glove box and pulled out a knife.

Raising the knife, he whispered, "Do you love me?"

******

* * *

**

**Les gasp! Syaoran! What are you doing! I don't know! Why don't we all review to find out!? :D That sounds like a GREAT idea!!!! I'm sorry, but there will be no review replies for this chapter. :) Know why? Document Manager erased them all. :) I don't know, but DM is rather psycho and it's really pissing me off. **


	10. The Plan

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_**The Plan**_

* * *

**Again, I'm so sorry for the wait. And this is a really bad chapter, too…I personally kind of hated it. :S But please read and review anyway, please…the next chapter will be better, I swear. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews this story. I'm really sorry that the updates are so spaced. :S I have too many stories going at one time. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, even if it might be bad. ^^"**

* * *

Sakura's eyes were wide in fear and horror. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Sakura," Syaoran pressed, "please, please answer my question!"

Finally, she was able to speak. "Wh-what do you plan to do?" she choked out.

His eyes narrowed, and she flinched. But when she received no pain, she opened her eyes again to Syaoran holding the knife to his own neck. His eyes were smoldering.

"Because if you don't love me," he whispered, "I will kill myself right here and now."

Sakura inhaled sharply, her eyebrows creasing. "Why—why would you do that?!" she asked, her voice getting slightly louder, shriller.

"All of my memories of my past life are gone. My life, my family, my friends. All of it is gone. I only know some things because of Eriol, but even he doesn't know much because he's an estranged cousin." He pressed the flat of the blade harder on his neck. "I have nothing to live for, Sakura. But—but you've given me a reason to live. I want to protect you, I want to be with you." His eyes softened. "I love you. But if you don't love me back, I will free you and kill myself."

He felt like an idiot doing what he was doing, but it was the only way to be sure. It was taking things to an extreme, and a _stupid _one at that. He nearly felt like a coward, and like he was being very emotional even though he wasn't like that.

But he had to know Sakura loved him. He had to.

Sakura was utterly confused. She had to keep repeating to herself, over and over, that he planned to kill her. He was a murderer.

_But he said he'd free me and kill himself…if I don't love him back. _She gazed into his soft, amber eyes that held so much passion.

"Would you really…kill yourself?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

He pushed the knife deeper, and blood slid down the blade. Her eyes widened, her mind reeling. What would she do if Syaoran killed himself? She _knew _that she loved him. She _knew _that she wouldn't be able to go without him now. She had simply pushed those thoughts away and replaced them with the thoughts that someone _should _be thinking. But in a situation like this one—she could do that no longer.

Tears were already streaming down her face. She shook her head vigorously. "No!" she shouted suddenly. "Don't kill yourself, please!" She jumped forward, flinging her arms around his neck. He pulled the knife away carefully and set it down on the dashboard. Slowly, his arms found their way around Sakura's waist. He pulled her closer to him, breathing in her scent. It calmed him, and made him feel happy.

"Do you love me?" he murmured, almost inaudibly.

"Yes!" she cried. "I do, I do love you, I love you so much it hurts!"

He held her head up and pressed his lips against hers. Sakura let herself go to the kiss, and soon he was atop her on the seat, his hands running rhythmically up and down her body.

As they kissed, they were both thinking that it had seemed too easy. To say I love you. To overcome their differences as they did. To accept each other for who and what they were.

That's because it was easy. But only because it was about to get a lot harder from then on.

* * *

Back at the house, Tomoyo and Eriol sat silently on the couch, waiting. They didn't know what to expect when Syaoran and Sakura returned, or if they would return. But they hoped that whatever happened, it was for the best.

They both stood when they heard the front door open. At first, they hesitated, but then Tomoyo dashed into the front hallway, her heart speeding up with her feet. She was nearly hyperventilating by the time she reached her destination.

"Saku—ran!" she gasped, speaking too quickly in her nervous excitement and mixing her friend's names together. She let out a long sigh of relief when she saw the two holding hands, standing close together. Eriol appeared around the corner and smiled at the sight.

"You two worked everything out, then, I hope?" he asked Sakura and Syaoran.

Sakura's cheeks were red as she smiled, nodding. Syaoran couldn't help his mouth curving into a grin, either. "Yes," he replied simply.

Tomoyo let out another sigh, and grabbed Sakura, hugging her close. Sakura wrapped her arms around her friend, elated that Tomoyo finally approved of them.

After a minute, Tomoyo reached out for Syaoran to join their embrace, and Eriol took the hint and got into the hug as well.

Syaoran's stomach lurched when he realized that that moment may be the last he'd see of Eriol and Tomoyo. Ever. The thought made his grip tighter, and he moved closer to the group.

He knew that, had this happened a couple months ago, Syaoran would certainly_ not _have joined in on a group hug. But, as only she can, Sakura softened him up. Before, his loyalties had lied only with Ayumu—but now, mixed with Sakura, his dreams of the past, and his time with Eriol and Tomoyo, he knew that his loyalties now lay with the group caught up in his embrace.

He almost laughed at himself for how very soft he was being.

But he couldn't erase his past with Ayumu—therefore he wasn't _that _soft. And never could be.

* * *

The corvette's engine hummed. Sakura was saying goodbye to Tomoyo in the house, and they were both surely shedding tears. Eriol and Syaoran were standing outside, Syaoran leaning against the black car.

Syaoran didn't know how to start what he wanted to say, but he had to try.

"Eriol…" he began, licking his lips. "I don't know if…" His sentence wavered and broke.

"If you'll ever see me again?" Eriol finished for him. His cousin looked up to meet his gaze. The two shared a long, meaningful stare, an entire conversation with no words.

Eriol raised his arms and rested his hands on Syaoran's broad shoulders.

"You will. Don't worry about it," he said, his voice soft and low.

Syaoran smiled at the bespectacled man in front of him. "All right then …count on it, then."

"I will, man, I _will,_" Eriol replied breezily, wrapping his arms around his cousin in a brief hug.

The ladies stepped out of the house, and seemingly at the same time, Sakura ran over to Eriol and Tomoyo to Syaoran and caught them off guard with tight hugs.

"Goodbye, Eriol-san. Thank you for everything," Sakura whispered.

Eriol smiled and stroked her auburn hair. "You're welcome. Don't worry, you'll be safe with Syaoran." They parted, and Sakura started off towards the car. "Farewell, Sakura-chan."

Meanwhile, Tomoyo, buried in Syaoran's chest, simply murmured, "Be safe or I'll never forgive either of you."

Syaoran breathed a chuckle, and Tomoyo ran over to Eriol's side.

Sakura climbed into the passenger's seat, and Syaoran gave Eriol a final fist bump before getting into the car himself. Without another word, the corvette backed up and sped off down the winding road.

* * *

"So…what are we planning to do now?" Sakura asked, pushing her hair behind her ear in an attempt to tame it, as the wind from the open window was whipping it around her face.

"We have to go and meet Ayumu," Syaoran responded confidently.

Sakura's eyebrows creased with worry. "And then what? After we meet him, what happens then?"

After a moment, Syaoran looked at her with a smirk. "Whatever happens, happens."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "You can't be serious." Syaoran nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can't believe you! You're just charging in there, against a murderer, and winging it?!"

Suddenly, Syaoran's eyes flashed and his smile disappeared. "I'm a murderer, too," he whispered, turning back to the road.

Sakura reached her hand over to touch his hand on the steering wheel.

"You're not like him, Syaoran-kun," she murmured. "You're different."

"You are, too," he replied, his gaze softening again. "What do _you _planto do after all of this is over? You'll have to go home…"

"I don't want to go home," Sakura said in a small voice. Why would she leave what she had now—Syaoran—to go back to her unloving family? "I want to stay with you."

"How does that work?" he asked suddenly.

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"Once everything's over, you have to go home. I won't let you say no," he added when she opened her mouth to protest. "But who's going to want you to be with me, the man who kidnapped you? And it doesn't help that you're only fifteen."

"I'm sixteen in three days," she snapped. "And who cares who does and doesn't want us to be together?"

"Okay, maybe that's not the point—but I'm gonna get sent to jail." His voice was final. "Then what?"

"You have so much evidence that you weren't doing any of this out of your own free will. If we have a trial, it'll be fair enough if you get, say, community service or something," Sakura explained, confidence brimming in her voice.

"But I killed so many women." Syaoran's voice was soft, scared.

"Did you want to?"

The question caught Syaoran off guard. His eyes widened, and he stared ahead blankly for a minute (luckily on a straight stretch of road). He'd never really thought of it as wanting to or not wanting to, but just the fact that he did it…

"No," he responded slowly.

Sakura smiled. "You're not a killer, Syaoran-kun," she cooed, her voice comforting. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Before he knew it, small tears were threatening to spill over his lashes. Angrily, he brushed them away; he wasn't the kind of guy who cried. Never.

"Thank you," he breathed, "Sakura."

* * *

A couple of hours later, they were driving through a town. They were more than halfway there, and Syaoran was driving with determination that he would take Ayumu down. But as he turned a corner, he noticed a mall. He pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car.

"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura questioned, looking puzzled. "Why are we stopping here?"

"Well, first, I'm hungry. Second, I have a credit card that Ayumu is paying for. Why not blow it before he gets thrown in jail forever?" Syaoran grinned and held his hand out to Sakura, for he had just opened her door. Sakura sighed, shaking her head, though she was smiling as well.

They held hands as they walked through the mall, searching for the food court. When they finally found it, they decided on New York Fries.

They sat at one of the tables with their poutines in hand. Sakura's eyes were sparkling, and Syaoran guessed she had never eaten this, either. As she stuffed her fork into her mouth before the gravy dripped off, Syaoran brought up his plan.

"So I thought about it," he started, "and I've come up with a little plan." Sakura nodded, motioning for him to go on. "I'll take you there as was…_originally planned,_" he stressed, unable to find other words for it, "but I won't warn him beforehand. Who I _will _warn—the police. I'll tell them where to be at what time, and they can take him in."

Sakura thought it over, and nodded slowly, accepting it. "Really, there's no other way…"

"All right then…it's settled. We'll get there as fast as we can…so we can get all of this over and done with." Syaoran gestured to the stores around them. "But not before a quick shopping spree to lighten up the mood, hmm?"

Sakura smiled and sipped her pop.

What Syaoran didn't tell her was that he'd more than likely die in the process of this plan.

* * *

**I'm sorry…I know it was bad. :S I'll make the next chapter better, I promise. Thank you for reading, though. I really hope you'll review this terrible chapter. Please, and thank you ~ !**


	11. Storm

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

**Chapter 11**

_**Storm**_

**Hello again everyone…I'm sorry, it came later than it should have. :S I had a little, like, writing block or something…T-T Sorry. This chapter is a filler, I don't know how much you'll like it. ^^" Heheh. I hope you do like it, though…and thank you to everyone whose been reviewing, and does review this chapter. :) I appreciate it.**

* * *

Syaoran was tempted to go way over the speed limit, just so he could get this whole Ayumu ordeal over with, but he didn't dare as there were other cars driving along the road they were on now and he didn't want to cause any trouble. It almost frustrated him—but he was also enjoying it because it meant more time with Sakura.

Sakura was fidgeting around in her seat, biting her lip, twirling her short auburn hair around her finger. She clearly wanted the car to go faster as well.

"So what is Ayumu like, exactly?" she asked, turning to Syaoran expectantly.

"Hmm…" Syaoran searched for the right words to describe his crazy companion. His eyes narrowed as the words came to him. "A wolf in sheep's clothing. A devil with an angel's face."

Sakura smiled cheekily. "Are you saying he's hot?"

Syaoran chuckled and shook his head. "Very. Though his looks are nothing compared _mine_."

Sakura let out a giggle. "I think _I'll _be the judge of that."

It was like everything she said brought a smile to his face. He was surprised because he knew he'd never felt like that about anyone ever before. And he loved every minute of it now.

Sakura pulled the TV screen down and flicked it on to the news. Her disappearance wasn't headlined anymore; it was starting to be considered 'old news'. It occasionally flicked across the screen but it wasn't on every news channel like it had been the week before. She sighed. No one really cared about her except Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran. And Tomoyo and Eriol had left her for each other…

She shook those thoughts away. She knew it was bad and she was being ungrateful thinking those things, being as she knew her two friends cared about her. But…she turned back to look at Syaoran. But Syaoran was really the one that mattered to her now. She reached over and grasped his free hand, twining her fingers with his. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"We'll be happy once all this is over," he promised in a whisper.

"Thank you," she murmured back.

In truth, Syaoran _didn't _know if they could be happy or not after this. Because he didn't know whether his plan would work or not…

His gut feeling told him things were going to go terribly wrong.

* * *

Sakura had been on many trips all over Japan, all over the world, but she had never been able to appreciate the beauty of everything. Always going by plane—or whatever she took, she ended up being distracted by other things and other people which meant she could never take the time to look out a window and enjoy the view. It made her happy that she could suck in the beautiful scenery without having the press questioning her, or having to be prim and proper for suitors, family 'friends' and possible business partners.

She wondered what she'd be doing right then, had she not have been kidnapped. Had she not met Syaoran and started this whole adventure. She'd probably be bored to death at some fancy party, being forced to meet a lineup of men that disgusted her. She was happier where she was now. She knew that sounded strange, and she also knew it was the total truth.

The roads were finally beginning to empty out until there was no one on it save for the occasional car zooming past. Syaoran had noticed it and was driving faster now, looking at his GPS every once in a while to make sure he was going in the right direction.

"Is Ayumu staying in a hotel in Hokkaido?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran shook his head. "No, he has a house in the country over there. It's not as big as the one in Kagoshima, and he rarely goes there. But he makes sure all of his houses are isolated so…" After trailing off, he coughed. "Well, you know."

Sakura looked back at the dashboard and nodded, her brow creasing. Ayumu was a very mysterious man…she was both frightened and excited to meet him—but mostly frightened.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, and she rubbed them drowsily. She looked down at the clock, wondering how long she'd been asleep. A couple of hours, the time was indicating. It was now the early hours of the morning.

"Hey, good morning," Syaoran said, chuckling slightly. "Did you sleep well?"

Sakura adjusted the way she was sitting and was greeted by a sharp pain in her neck. "Ugh, I have a kink in my neck from this car seat…" she groaned, rubbing her neck.

Syaoran let out a laugh. "What did you expect, sleeping with your head lolling every which way!"

A pink blush spread across Sakura's cheeks, and she hit Syaoran's arm playfully. "Watching me while I slept? Creepy!" She grinned cheekily.

Suddenly there was a deafening crack of thunder and they heard rain hitting the car rhythmically. Sakura looked out the window nervously to a sheet of rain pouring from the sky, and a sudden flash of lightning lighting the trees on either side of them, and Sakura swore she saw a large animal outlined by the flash at the edge of the trees. She jumped back, away from the window.

Syaoran laughed. "It's nothing, it won't attack you."

Another flash of lightning and boom of thunder, and Sakura saw the outline again, trotting along the edge of the wood. A nervous drop of sweat rolled down her cheek.

"Syaoran…"

"Sakura, it's fine. You're totally safe," Syaoran cooed.

"But—"

He reached over with one hand and jerked her head around to face him. "I won't _let _anything hurt you."

Sakura blinked a few times, enchanted by his amber eyes and smooth voice, then nodded. Syaoran smiled and turned back to the road.

To get her mind off things, Sakura reached over and turned the knob on the radio. It crackled and let out a loud and ferocious spit of static before she quickly turned it off again.

Syaoran looked out the windshield thoughtfully. "Hmm…I think we should pull over until this rain stops. I don't want to take any chances."

He carefully swerved off to the side of the road and killed the engine as to not waste gas. He kept the lights on, though, and grabbed a blanket off the back seat.

Each time the thunder and lightning came, Sakura let out strangled yelps, Syaoran noted. After a while, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?"

Sakura looked up suddenly, alarmed. "N-no," she lied quickly.

A smirk settled on Syaoran's features. "You are, aren't you?"

She pursed her lips and glared at him. Syaoran laughed heartily. "That's so cute!"

"Shut up!"

Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as something slammed into the side of the car. Sakura shrieked; it had been on her side of the vehicle, and she scrambled to get away from it. Syaoran and Sakura exchanged seats and Syaoran looked cautiously out the window.

As lightning lit the sky, he saw an impossibly large wolf snarling at him from the side of the road. Its fangs were bared in the growl and the fact that its fur was clinging to its body because of the rain made it seem that much more frightening.

Syaoran swallowed back a cry of his own at the sight.

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled, her voice cracking. "That's what I saw earlier—!"

Syaoran clenched his teeth, and kicked open the door. Sakura gasped and shrieked again behind him as he stepped out onto the wet pavement. The wolf let out a threatening growl and stared at him, hackles raised. Syaoran stared back, fixing the beast with a deathly glare. He reached into the glove box and withdrew a pistol as the wolf lunged. Syaoran turned and pulled the trigger; the dog collapsed, it's leg bleeding thoroughly, and then got up and limped across the road to the wood, back to where it had come.

Syaoran sighed, exasperated, and fell back onto the car seat, his hair now soaking and his clothes a little too wet for comfort.

He looked back at Sakura and smiled weakly.

"I told you I wouldn't let it hurt you," he said, and she reached over and hugged him, using the blanket to dry his hair and helping him to take off his wet jacket. His shirt was…relatively dry under the coat; his pants stuck to his legs at the ends, but he thought they were fine for sitting in.

After a good fifteen minutes of nervous silence, wondering if the huge wolf had buddies, the rain let up and the sun started to peek over the horizon. Syaoran started the engine and drove off.

"You know," Sakura said as they whirred along the road, "my fear of thunder and lightning just got worse. And I have a newfound fear of giant wolves."

Syaoran smiled.

He was a bit distracted.

When he was holding the gun, he felt every drop of blood coursing through his veins, and heard it pounding in his ears. And when he pulled the trigger, there was no dog in sight.

It was Ayumu he'd shot.

Of course, reality had hit him when the wolf ran with it's tail between his legs. Ayumu was miles away in Hokkaido.

Syaoran realized then just how magnified his hatred was for Ayumu, and how much he wanted to hit him, shoot him, beat him…

His dreams were bringing his feelings into focus. Before the dreams, he would have stood by Ayumu no matter what, though he had been wary for a few months before the dreams; but that didn't mean he couldn't still be loyal as a dog.

But now…he wondered how he could have ever been friends with him…

He sighed and quickly ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't wait to get to Hokkaido and finally take Ayumu down.

And thus his thoughts switched to the 'plan'.

He knew it wouldn't work the way he was planning it. Ayumu was always a step ahead of him. And another thought he kept pushing away—what if he died?

…He knew probably would.

It was Ayumu, after all—trained killer.

But he knew he had to survive.

He had to—for Sakura.

* * *

**Yes, this was an uber filler chapter. I kinda wanted it to be. And yes it was uber random and maybe even confusing and you had to wait a long time but I'M SORRY! I'm hoping and thinking that the next chapter will be much more exciting. :) Thank you…please review!**

* * *


	12. Ayumu

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**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

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Chapter 12

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_Ayumu_

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* * *

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PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEEE I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN TWO MONTHS! D: I hope this chapter will make up for it. I tried my hand at suspenseful writing in this chapter. Can anyone tell me if it worked? ^^" I'm really sorry for the uber long update wait. I hope I can update more often because of summer, but I'm not sure because we're sooooper busy this year. DX I have less stories to update now as well, though, so that might be a factor for update spacing. :D Thank you so much to everyone who will still read and review even though I've been so horrible with those updates! I love you guys! (I said update six times in that paragraph XD Now, seven!)

* * *

The landscape blurred past Syaoran as his grip on the wheel tightened and his foot pressed the gas pedal further down. His apprehension was growing with every turn he made.

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked from the passenger seat. She looked worried as well. "Should we…notify the police now?"

Syaoran hesitated, and then shook his head. "Uh…no. It will tip him off and he might…do something…unexpected."

Sakura pursed her lips. "If you say so…"

Syaoran wanted his attack to be a complete surprise; and he wanted to take Ayumu out by himself. He had his pride. (Though some of his _dignity_, he felt, was taken away when Ayumu had locked him in a cellar and made him a pet.) Having the police there wouldn't help.

He was starting to recognize some landmarks that meant they were getting closer and closer to Ayumu's Hokkaido mansion. A drop of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. He knew this wouldn't end well. He knew this wouldn't even _start _well.

Sakura felt fear settling in her stomach. She didn't know if she was afraid for herself or for Syaoran; she decided she was scared for the both of them.

And what would happen after all of this was finished? After Ayumu was locked up or—

A rock dropped in her stomach.

After Ayumu was…dead?

Was Ayumu going to die? Was Syaoran planning to kill him…?

Her original train of thought had crashed, and she turned to Syaoran, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"Syaoran."

He side glanced at her. "Hmm?"

"Do you plan to…" She swallowed. "Do you plan to kill Ayumu?"

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. He quickly shut it and turned back to the road.

After a moment of strained silence, he barked out a laugh. "I don't know. I really don't." He shook his head. "You might think it's not so bad to kill a guy whose taken countless girl's lives."

"But it is!" Sakura cut in suddenly, not meaning to shout.

He smiled sadly. "I know. But…" He reached over and squeezed Sakura's hand, smooth, soft, and safe. "But I really don't know what's going to happen."

"I thought you had a plan."

"I thought I did too. And I still do…a bit. We'll take you in as if everything was…_normal,_ for lack of a better term, and then…" He shrugged. "And then we'll wake up and Ayumu will be nobody's problem."

Sakura's face fell. "Syaoran…"

He felt like an idiot. He knew he was an idiot. He knew she could see the tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, the way his lip quivered as he forced them back. He didn't say anything more, knowing he would break down, that his voice would crack and the tears would fall.

Ayumu was a big obstacle in Syaoran's life. After being locked in that cellar…he was dependent on him. Thinking about, well, not having to think about Ayumu anymore made him ecstatic and lonely at the same time. He had no idea what his family and friends were doing right then, or if he even had any. Ayumu was all Syaoran ever had for an entire year.

Syaoran told himself to think of the bad things Ayumu had done; it did help. The ecstasy outgrew the loneliness.

He glanced over at Sakura. He shouldn't feel lonely without Ayumu. He had Sakura now.

He smiled. Just thinking about having Sakura to himself made him smile…thinking about Ayumu was nothing like that. It made him uneasy to think of Ayumu…

Now he was confusing himself, and he laughed dryly under his breath. He shook everything out of his mind and focused on driving.

* * *

Syaoran almost felt like vomiting when he saw the shadow of Ayumu's mansion looming up ahead. He looked over at Sakura, who he realized was looking back at him with a question in her eyes. Syaoran nodded tightly.

Abruptly, he pulled off the road into the cover of big tree branches drooping with the weight of the rain.

"Syaoran, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, frowning.

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled them roughly towards him, pressing his lips against hers with force. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him.

Startled, Sakura kissed him back, her hands resting on his chest. She leaned back against the door, and he leaned over on top of her, connecting their lips again. He ran his fingers through her hair while she grasped his, her arms around his neck.

He lifted her torso up by the small of her back, pressing her against him, and ran one hand down her thigh. Then it was suddenly at her face again, running down her jaw line softly, as if she might break if he pressed any harder.

_If that's the case, _Sakura thought with a smile, _My lips must be indestructible. _

And then, all of a sudden, it was over. He pulled away, sitting up straight again in his seat, smoothing out his clothes. Sakura, dazed and confused, pulled herself upright as well, patting her hair down properly.

Syaoran backed the car back onto the road and started up to Ayumu's at a slow pace.

"Straighten your clothes out," he said. "Or Ayumu might get suspicious."

"Right," she mumbled back, fixing herself.

* * *

Soon—too soon—they were sitting in Ayumu's driveway. Sakura felt like everything around them was murderous. Her heart was pounding faster with each passing second, and the blood was pounding in her ears. She had to control her breathing to make it sound normal.

She screamed when something touched her arm, and flinched away from it lightning fast. She blushed when she realized it was only Syaoran. He smiled sadly.

"Are you afraid?" he asked softly.

She opened her mouth to protest, but her jaw was trembling. She closed it and nodded.

He let out a chuckle. "You're afraid of him but not me? I'm losing my touch," he joked weakly.

She reached out and touched his arm. "I'm not scared for me. I'm scared for you, Syaoran. I don't know what he might do to you."

He blinked and then laughed, almost loudly. "What he might do to _me? _I brought you here for him to kill _you_." He smiled and ruffled her hair, but before he pulled his hand away, he stroked it gently. "I love you." His voice was soft, carried away by the storm. But Sakura heard it.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

Syaoran opened the door and walked around to the other side to open it for Sakura. He held his hand out for her and she took it. When she was standing, he took hold of her arm.

"If I act differently here, its all an act," he whispered, practically inaudible. She gulped and nodded.

They walked up the stone steps, and Syaoran knocked twice before swinging the big door open. Sakura's breathing was coming out unevenly, and her heart was beating ridiculously fast. She noticed there were two stone gargoyles perched on two taller parts of the building, on either side, closing in on them. Their ugly faces were twisted into evil grins, as if they were saying 'Come on in. I know what's going to happen to you in here. And it isn't good.' Laughing as you trembled in fear. As _Sakura _trembled in fear.

The rain didn't help. Her hair was now matted to her face, her clothes sticking to her skin uncomfortably. The sky was pitch black, nothing lighting up the sky.

The two stepped into the mansion, and they were both surprised that it was as dark as the night outside. The wind moaned and seemed to grab at the doors and slam them shut angrily. Sakura jumped and a high pitched shriek escaped her lips. Syaoran shushed her.

Syaoran walked further into the room, one hand out in front of him as not to hit anything.

"Ayu-chan?" he called out to the darkness. "Ayumu?" A feeling of unease writhed in the pit of his stomach.

Sakura shakily ignored the soft sound she'd heard from beside her. But when she heard it a second time, and then a third, she couldn't ignore it anymore. Her head whipped to the side, and she could've sworn she saw something moving in the shadows.

Then, suddenly, the lights turned on. Sakura had to slap her hand over her mouth quickly to keep from making a startled sound. Syaoran looked over quickly, his eyes wide, also startled by the lights suddenly flicking on.

"Tsk, tsk, Syao-chan, this _has _taken a long time."

The voice sounded like a pout and a smile all at once. It was silky smooth and would pull any girl in with the added charm.

Sakura shivered.

"Ayumu-chan!" Syaoran cried, his arms stretched out, a big grin plastered across his face. He walked over and hugged the man.

_So, _Sakura thought weakly, _this is Ayumu. _

He had dark hair that he seemed to like brushing back with his slender fingers. He had sparkly, straight teeth, and a big, inviting smile. He was tall and muscular, and any girl would be quick to mark him as 'hot'. His face was handsome and mature, with high cheekbones and seemingly perfect eyebrows. His grey eyes were happy, but there was a darkness about them that made her shiver.

"Sorry it took so long," Syaoran apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I needed to make a few stops."

Sakura almost thought he was going to hit Syaoran or hurt him somehow, right off the bat, and felt fear grow inside her.

Ayumu waved it off. "It's fine, it's fine. As long as she's here now." He turned to study Sakura. The way his eyes searched her, it made her feel as she was naked. He took a few concentrated steps toward her.

"She is…" he trailed off.

Syaoran smiled. "Exceptional?"

Ayumu looked over his shoulder to grin at his accomplice. "Perfect. How old is she?"

"Sixteen," Sakura announced bravely.

Ayumu looked surprised she would be the one to answer him, but then smiled again. It almost seemed creepy how much he smiled. "This one is going to be _fun_."

A shiver bolted down both Syaoran and Sakura's spines. Syaoran clenched his fists and calmed himself down, casting a subtle glance of reassurance at the frightened girl.

Ayumu again stepped closer to Sakura, still studying her intently. He reached out and rested his hands on her shoulders. Sakura bit her lip and put on a look of defiance, glaring up at the handsome man in front of her.

Slowly, his hands traveled down her arms, tenderly caressing her smooth skin. He subtly moved them from her hands to her waist, and ran his hands over her curves. Goosebumps appeared on Sakura's arms, and she resisted the urge to vomit. She gasped suddenly when she felt his cold fingers slip under her shirt and feel around. She felt anger growing inside of her. She was helpless to stop him, she knew it, if she wanted to stay alive. But she _really _just wanted to slug him at that moment.

Surprisingly, he hadn't felt her chest area and stood up before he did. He slowly pulled his hands out of her shirt and placed them gingerly on her face. Another creepy, wolf-like grin curled his lips.

"You must be the Kinomoto Sakura I've heard so much about on TV the last few days?" he asked. She nodded quickly, keeping her glare in place. He chuckled. "You've caused quite a commotion, haven't you? Naughty, naughty girl."

Ayumu slipped his hand onto her lower back and led her over to a room with two dark sofas, one backed up against the wall, on either side of a long coffee table. The room had big windows that were covered by curtains in the rain and darkness, a big, fancy fireplace beside the seats, and a closet not too far from the back of the sofa, that almost seemed out of place. A very western room, Sakura thought. Ayumu gestured for her to sit down on one of them, and she did, wringing her fingers together. He sat on the one opposite her. Syaoran hovered for a moment, about to sit down next to Sakura, but realizing that that would seem odd, and slumped down beside Ayumu.

"You like tea, Sakura-chan, do you not?" Ayumu asked, and Sakura suddenly remembered her conversation on the phone with him. He had promised they would share some tea.

She gulped. "Yes. I love tea," she stated boldly.

Ayumu laughed. "Very good." He picked up the pot on the table and poured three cups of green tea. He pushed one of them over to Sakura. She picked it up formally and began to drink it in a very proper way.

Syaoran could tell that Sakura excited Ayumu. He could only imagine the sick fantasies he would be having—and which ones he planned to make real. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, and he quickly brushed it away. Sakura made eye contact with him, the big emerald pools asking if the plan was in place yet. He shook his head roughly, messing his hair up with his hand.

"Ahh, I hate getting wet when it's unnecessary," he announced. Sakura got the message. _Not yet. Just wait. _

"Why don't you go take a shower, Syao-chan?" Ayumu suggested lightly. Syaoran's heart turned to ice. He couldn't say no. That would seem odd. He had cornered himself; now he had to take a shower and leave Sakura there alone with Ayumu.

"Okay," he said, standing. Without glancing back at Sakura, he went up the stairs and turned on the shower. He stripped as fast as he could and jumped in. He had to make it last long enough to seem normal. He washed himself, and then just stood in the steamy water, letting it rush over his face. His heart was beating anxiously, worried intensely for Sakura. He told himself she'd be fine, she'd be fine…

Finally he turned off the shower and toweled himself dry. As he was pulling on his jeans, he heard a thump and a crash downstairs. He had a flashback of the last girl Ayumu had killed—there had been a thump and a crash just like that one before she had run downstairs, bloody and sobbing…

_Sakura!_

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Did you like it? I hope sooo ~ please review! PLEASE! And again, I'm SO SORRY for the time it took to update this! I promise I will try to update more often! Then maybe I won't have to apologize so much. XD Again, please review and thank you for reading!


	13. Insanity

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

**Chapter 13**

**__****Insanity**

**I'M SORRY! It's so sad when you have to start a chapter off with an apology. :( I'm so sorry for the wait for this chapter. I was trying to finish off The New Teacher and Warriors: Unknown Origin so I could focus on this and Multiple Personalities, but I knew it had been too long and the too aforementioned stories needed an update. ;D And so, I hope you forgive me and will enjoy this chapter. :)**

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The sounds echoed in Syaoran's ears as he yanked on his jeans. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head as he dashed down the hall, his heart hammering. He took the stairs three at a time, stumbling down the last few steps. His feet smarting, he flew around the corner and stood, panting, in the entrance to the living area. He clutched the wall, his heart smashing against his ribcage as he heaved out his breaths.

"What—what happened?" he gasped.

Sakura was sitting upright on the floor, looking slightly dishevelled and on guard. Ayumu was leaning over her, his hands working . . . on her leg? He looked up, surprised, at Syaoran.

"Syao-chan?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. "Why did you rush down here like that?"

"What happened?" Syaoran repeated, regaining his breath and releasing his grip on the wall.

Ayumu pointed at the remains of a shattered vase, and then gestured to Sakura's leg; he immediately noticed the blood. "We had a little accident and a piece of the vase cut her. I'm just helping her clean it up."

Relief flooded through Syaoran. He glanced at Sakura. She was watching him from the corner of her eye; her emerald pools were clouded with suspicion, uncertainty.

Ayumu let out a brief chuckle. "Did you honestly think I would do something to her? It's too early for that, Syao-chan. You know better."

Syaoran forced a laugh as well, and ran a hand through his damp hair. "Yeah, sorry about that."

He waved it off, but Syaoran swore he saw a glint of some kind flash through his eyes. "It's fine. Just please, don't be so hasty next time."

Syaoran swallowed, and nodded. He hoped there wouldn't actually _be _a next time.

"Well, I'll go get some gauze to wrap around her wound," Ayumu said as he got to his feet.

"I'll clean it with a wet towel," Syaoran suggested. The two men walked into the kitchen together. As soon as Sakura was out of ear-shot, he asked, "What do you think?"

The older man's eyes flicked to the door of the living area. "She's certainly an interesting one." His intense gaze fell into Syaoran's. "But you seem to have taken an extra liking to her?"

His heart skipped a beat. He swallowed. "I—"

"Syaoran, are you forgetting the most important rule?" Ayumu's dark brows were pulling into a frown. "_Never fall in love with a victim?_"

Syaoran shook his head sharply. "No, I'm not, I—"

"Don't lie to me," Ayumu warned.

"I'm not!" Syaoran snapped, his impatience growing. "I like her, all right? She's a good kid. But I'm not in love with her." Syaoran thought of all of their embraces. He could still feel Sakura in his arms, the scent of her hair . . . .

Ayumu fixed him with a look Syaoran couldn't read. Then he turned and stalked out of the room.

Syaoran grabbed a towel and wet it with warm water.

_Don't lie to me, _Ayumu had said.

_I'm not in love with her, _Syaoran had replied. He wasn't used to lying to Ayumu. Something about it made his stomach clench, like he knew somehow Ayumu would catch him in the lie.

Syaoran went back out to the living area quickly so he could talk to Sakura before Ayumu returned. "What happened?" he whispered as he pressed the towel to her bleeding leg. The cut was on her lower thigh and she'd had to pull her pant leg up.

Sakura winced as he dabbed the wound. "He was staring at me weirdly . . . I asked if something was wrong. He told me I reminded him of someone. Then I asked if he had a girlfriend—"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know!" Sakura flushed. "The way his eyes changed when he said I reminded him of someone, I thought it might be his wife or girlfriend."

Syaoran shook his head. "As far as I know, there's no girl in the picture." He coughed awkwardly. "Other than, you know . . . ."

"It would be really weird if he had a girlfriend, though. I mean, would he tell her about what he does?" Sakura shook her head. "I wouldn't want to get involved with someone like that." She regretted it as soon as it came out. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Syaoran had stood abruptly and had turned away from her. "Syaoran, I wasn't talking about you, you're not—you're not like him," she sputtered quickly.

He held out his hand to stop her. He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again.

"I'm so sorry . . ." Sakura murmured, her heart sinking. She'd said something stupid again. She always did. She always had to screw things up and make a fool of herself. Her face heated up and she stared at the floor.

"Here, Sakura-chan." Ayumu swept back into the room with a roll of gauze. He wound it around her leg and then patted it tenderly. "There you go."

"Thank you," she whispered, her cheeks still red.

Ayumu smiled at her; she was surprised. He was really was incredibly handsome. The way his lips curved, revealing a teaser of perfect teeth. When he smiled like that, his grey eyes smouldered and seemed to burn into Sakura's gaze and invite her in warmly.

He was really a wolf in sheep's clothing.

His fingers brushed her cheekbones. She stiffened.

"Such beautiful emerald green eyes," he murmured. Sakura's lips parted.

A smile curved Syaoran's lips. "That's what caught my eye," he said softly.

Ayumu slowly slid his fingers down her cheek. He did it so lightly it made her skin tingle. She tried to control her breathing; her heart was suddenly beating fast.

Syaoran clenched his fists; it really irked him to see someone else—especially Ayumu—touching Sakura. Especially with that damned smouldering look. He glanced out the window. Pitch dark still. He pulled his phone out of his pocket; it was nearly midnight now. He chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating. When would he make his move? What would his move _be?_

Ayumu's smile widened as his fingers traced Sakura's jaw and down her neck. "I can feel your heart . . . its beating fast."

Sakura swallowed. "Of course it is, with you in my face and all," she said defiantly.

A muscle in his cheek twitched, and he breathed a chuckle. He gently pushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear; then he pulled her face to his and touched his lips to her cheek. His warm breath tickled her ear and she instinctively pulled away. He was looking at her now with a surprised expression, mixed with something she couldn't pinpoint in his eyes. She swallowed and kept his gaze until he looked away as he stood.

"Perhaps we should retire to our rooms now?" he suggested, brushing his hair back with his hand. He looked at Syaoran, who nodded. "I'll go and prepare Sakura's room." He smiled crookedly and swept out of the room.

Syaoran waited until his footsteps faded, and stepped over to Sakura. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, her touch sending zaps of electricity through his fingers. He smiled at the feeling. "Are you all right to stand?"

She nodded, her brows furrowed as she tested her leg. He could easily tell she was putting almost all of her weight on her uninjured left foot. "I'll be fine in the morning."

Syaoran's eyes flitted to the doorway. Ayumu was still nowhere in sight. He bent and brushed his thumb along where the older man had kissed Sakura's cheek. Then he did the same. Sakura looked up at him with her wide eyes, her lips curling into a smile. "There," he said quietly. "Now his touch is gone. I replaced it with mine." He flashed a quick smile, and wrapped her briefly in his arms. His warmth surged through her, relaxing her. Then he wasn't holding her anymore, and she nearly sighed.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Everything will be over soon. I promise."

She nodded, and he took hold of her elbow, helping her limp through the kitchen. When they reached the stairs, however, they also reached a dilemma. Sakura tried to walk up onto a step casually, but yelped in pain and stumbled backwards. Syaoran caught her.

"Oh, crap," she mumbled. "Stupid stairs."

Gently, Syaoran slipped one arm under her legs, the other with a firm hold on her back, and picked her up. She let out a squeak of surprise and her face went pink. He grinned at her, and she leaned into him, her hands on his chest, making his smile wider. He advanced up the stairs and looked from side to side in the hallway, setting Sakura back on her feet as he did so. He led her by the elbow again as he looked from door to door.

Ayumu suddenly popped out of one, smiling, making Syaoran jump. He smiled. "You scared me."

Ayumu winked at Syaoran and then gestured to the room from which he had just come. "Sakura, your room."

She looked uncertain as her gaze dragged to Ayumu. This was a common look that plainly said, _'Are you going to be there too?' _Ayumu laughed and patted Syaoran on the shoulder; he knew how much Syaoran hated that look. He hated how stupid these girls could be—and usually were. Suddenly re-assuming his role of the annoyed guy, he glared at Sakura. "Just go in," he almost growled, his tone impatient.

She shot him an uneasy look as she limped cautiously into the room. He hoped she recognized he wasn't really annoyed with her. "Sometimes she can be just like any other girl," he grumbled, frowning.

Ayumu just let out an airy chuckle. "You know where your room is, Syao-chan." He went over to his own master bedroom and shut the doors behind him. Syaoran started toward his rarely used room—he never had a reason to come all the way to Hokkaido—before stopping and staring at Sakura's shut bedroom door. The thought of going in crossed his mind, but he dismissed it quickly.

He was wondering why Ayumu had gone straight to his own room. Normally he would have gone right in with her. But . . . . Something was wrong. His eyes narrowed. What did Ayumu have up his sleeve now?

He shut his bedroom door and flopped down on the bed. He had to do something soon, preferably tonight. He wondered if Sakura was tired, and hoped she had dozed off, while at the same time he wanted her to be completely on her guard.

His thoughts of Sakura lulled him into a sleepy daze . . . .

Syaoran's eyes shot open at the sound of his door opening and closing. He rubbed at them groggily, trying to sit up—how long had he been asleep, what time was it?—when something pushed him back down, none too gently. That woke him fully.

His eyes widened when he saw Ayumu sitting atop him, pinning him down, with his eyes narrowed to icy slits. "Ayumu—what are you doing?"

Ayumu leaned down, leaning on his forearms which were on either side of Syaoran's head, caging him in. Their faces were so close that their noses were touching. Syaoran's mind was reeling, his heart beating vigorously as panic set in.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Ayumu spoke slowly and softly. His breath fell onto Syaoran's neck. "I can't believe you'd betray me like this, Syaoran."

"Ayumu—"

"Don't pretend like you're not. I overheard you talking to Sakura when you thought you were alone." He shook his head, making his dark hair brush against Syaoran's skin. "I'm hurt and disappointed in you, Syaoran. I thought I could trust you. But I was wrong. You couldn't handle it. You even picked someone out that looked so much like her . . . ."

"Like who? What are you talking about?"

"You've made a grave mistake, Syaoran. Love is the cruellest killer of all. And you've fallen prey to its trap." Ayumu looked mournful. "Perhaps I should help you out of it? I know better options."

"Like death?" Syaoran asked, not sure what he was aiming to get out of that.

Ayumu smiled and stroked Syaoran's hair, nodding soberly. His heart tightened. He tried to splutter something in protest, Ayumu cooing to him to be quiet, trying to tell him death was easier than falling for that foul emotion.

"No, Ayumu, you can't!" Syaoran finally managed to say. "I—"

Ayumu's punch made him gasp. His cheek near his nose throbbed and he could already imagine it swelled and black. He was just lucky his nose hadn't been broken, though he felt blood trickling down onto his lip. He turned his amber gaze back to Ayumu in shock. His eyes were deadly.

"Don't resist me," he said in a low tone. The hollowness of his eyes made Syaoran's stomach twist in knots. He looked insane.

"Ayumu, what's happened?" he asked, keeping his voice soft. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because you brought that girl here," he replied with a rumble from his throat.

"I—I thought you liked Sakura."

He wrapped his fingers suddenly around Syaoran's neck. His panic rose, as did the crazy look in Ayumu's eyes.

"She's too much like _her," _he spat.

"Like _who?_ Ayumu, let me help—"

"Shut up!" he barked, gritting his teeth. Syaoran closed his mouth so quickly his teeth clicked. He pressed his hand against Syaoran's throat, making it increasingly harder to breathe. He tried to gasp for air but that didn't work for long. He grabbed Ayumu's hand and tried to pull it away but he was suddenly so much stronger. He could feel his consciousness slipping, his vision fading in and out.

Something creaked in the background, and he heard Sakura squeak, "Syao—ahh!"

Sakura dashed forward pounced onto Ayumu's back, wrenching him backwards and off of Syaoran. She dislodged him enough that his grip let loose on Syaoran's neck. He gasped at the air hungrily, willing his vision to return and the dizziness to disappear.

"You bitch!" Ayumu snarled, turning back on Sakura. He slapped her and she stumbled back, shocked. He rose from the bed and slammed her against the wall so hard a painting dropped from its hook and crashed to floor, making Sakura wince. Then she brought her gaze up level with Ayumu's and saw the insanity roiling in them. She swallowed.

Syaoran scrambled off the bed as quietly as he could, holding his throat and breathing deeply. The dots were fading from his vision; he was able to see clearly now. When he saw Ayumu pinning Sakura to the wall as he was, anger bubbled up inside him.

He was pressing closer to her and squeezing her wrists harder and harder with each passing moment. She let out a squeak of pain, and said, "S-stop! You're hurting me, stop it!"

"You stop!" Ayumu cried. "Stop reminding me of Itsumi!"

"Who is Istumi, I don't even know who that—"

Sakura was cut off when Syaoran's rage boiled over and he gripped Ayumu's shoulders and threw him to the floor. He put his knee on Ayumu's chest and held his head down with one hand. He spoke slowly. "Stop this craziness! Who is Itsumi!"

"Why do you care?" Ayumu shrieked. Syaoran had never seen him in a state like this. He had always been calm and composed, even childish at times.

"Well jeez, maybe it's because you were about to kill me while screaming about some stupid woman named Itsumi!" Syaoran yelled back, his anger pouring out.

"_Don't you dare insult her!_" Ayumu's hands shot out and gripped Syaoran's hair. He yanked it to the left, throwing Syaoran off balance. Refusing to be over-powered, Syaoran shoved Ayumu's head back harshly and started to get back on his hands and knees instead of rolling around on the ground. Ayumu quickly recovered and threw a punch, connecting to Syaoran's stomach. He doubled over, coughing and gagging, clutching his stomach. Ayumu stood shakily and hooked his arms under Syaoran's. He dragged the kicking man into the hallway, where Syaoran's feet finally hit Ayumu's hip. His knees buckled, and Syaoran threw himself on top of Ayumu.

Ayumu growled and pushed Syaoran over his head using his legs, then quickly got to his feet and grabbed Syaoran before he could recover, dragging him over to the large, spiralling staircase. Syaoran was trying to suck air into his burning lungs while trying to fight back, and panic twisted his stomach when he saw the stairs.

"No no no NO!" he yelled as Ayumu shoved him over the edge. He reached an arm out and caught Ayumu's sweater, dragging him down as well.

Ayumu simply slid down the stairs on his stomach, while Syaoran had it much worse. He was tumbling backwards, head over heels, feeling the impact from each step in every part of his body. And at each spiral, he slammed into the wooden railings with a jarring impact. As he neared the bottom, he heard a snap, and immense pain flared in his left arm. He shrieked in pain, wishing he could move to cradle it.

When he finally landed at the bottom, his head cracked off the floor. It wasn't plush carpet like at the one back in Kagoshima; it was hard tiles. The black dots plagued his vision once again and he fought to keep conscious. He saw Ayumu running down the stairs, having stopped himself from falling down them. He stood over Syaoran, who could already feel his eye swelling along with his cheek where Ayumu had hit him earlier. He couldn't stop himself from panting and sweating.

"You're . . . crazy . . ." he managed.

Ayumu's expression didn't change as he bent and grabbed Syaoran's arm. Syaoran screamed when he gripped the broken one, but Ayumu took no notice. He dragged Syaoran across the tile floor and over to the stairs that led to the basement. He was placed upright on the top step, and then Ayumu kicked him hard in the back and he was sent flying down another flight of stairs. At that point, Syaoran could barely even get his thoughts together; he was only aware of the pain. He thrust his feet out so his head didn't smack off the concrete floor of the basement as it had on the main floor. He ended up on his knees, heaving and clutching his broken left arm. He saw Ayumu walk past him and he looked up. Ayumu was looking affectionately at an axe. "Remember this?"

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**Was it all right . . . ? Was the fight scene okay? :D I hope you liked it. And again, I'm really sorry for the update wait. :) Please review, please review ~ !**

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	14. Deranged Devil

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter 14**

_**Deranged Devil**_

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**Well now. Fitting that I should update this particular fic on Halloween, is it not? :D I hope you can forgive me for the long wait. I've had a lot of homework and stuff, high school sucks. (OH YEAH! I'm 14 now! :) My birthday was at the beginning of the month!)**

**So anyway, what're you guys doing for Halloween? My friends and I are dressing up as The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm Janet. :D Anyone seen that movie? (The Glee episode DOES NOT count as seeing the movie.) If you haven't . . . I highly suggest it. :D Watch it as your Halloween special. XD **

**Again, PLEASE FORGIVE ME for the long update wait. I hope, as always, that this chapter will make up for it. *heart* Enjoy!**

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Sakura's heart hammered against her chest and her head pounded with a headache. She leaned over the railing of the spiralling staircase, feeling nauseous, her hands sweating and slipping on the metal rail. There was a metallic taste in her mouth that she realized was fear.

She had heard a crash a few moments before and there hadn't been any noise since. She'd never been so afraid in her entire life, even when she had been kidnapped previously. She knew it was because Syaoran's life was also on the line this time.

She wanted to call out to Syaoran, make sure he was okay, but she knew she couldn't.

She sucked in a deep breath and started down the stairs. Her feet trembled as she slowly descended, praying that Syaoran was all right.

Finally she made it to the bottom. She looked around in the direction the two men had rolled over to and slowly made her way over. She saw that a door with angels carved into it had been thrown open. There was a colder air coming from it, and a disturbing scent also wafted from it. She swallowed and moved closer. As she did so, she noticed the angels' wings were black and their faces were contorted into vicious smiles, pointed fangs protruding from their lips. A shiver bolted down Sakura's spine and she looked away from the door, turning her head to the stairs leading down.

Tentatively, she placed one foot down on the first damp, wooden stair. Then another. The passage was narrow and the walls were cement. It was pitch black save for a small light at the end of the stairs.

She heard a noise, and her heart started to go into overdrive. She could feel the sudden adrenaline in her veins, and her steps began to quicken. Suddenly she was at the bottom, the freezing concrete floor making her feet cold.

She breathed out, and the sound seemed to echo around her, eerily quiet. The light was coming from somewhere to her right. She stuck her hands out in front of her to stop herself from hitting anything in the dim light and started forward again slowly.

Sakura's palms started to sweat again when she reached the light. It was just a light bulb with a simple plastic shade around it. It lit the area around it only well enough to see the trap door beneath it. She took a deep breath and stooped to open it. Only as she gripped the handle did she notice the warm, sticky liquid trailing along the floor to the handle. She nearly fainted when she looked at her hands, but gathered herself again quickly. Her fingers trembled now, and she fumbled as she tried to open the trapdoor.

A piercing shriek ripped from her mouth when a hand lay gently down on her shoulder. She looked behind her and Ayumu was bending over her with a friendly, innocent smile. She caught her breath.

"Well, well, Sakura-chan, you are a brave one," he said with a chuckle. He shook his head and pushed his hand through his dark hair. "Fancy meeting you here. I was just about to get you and drag you down here myself." He flashed her a sunny smile before he shot his arm around her waist and pulled her away from the trapdoor. She screamed again and tried in vain to get away.

Ayumu threw open the door and then shoved her in. She made a gasping noise as her back slammed against a ladder rung. Her spine went numb as she fell through the air into darkness until suddenly she hit the cement floor. Her head cracked against it and she heard a crunch from somewhere on her body. Pain flared in her left elbow and wrist, along with her hip. She gulped in a breath and then rasped out a shout of agony. She attempted to move her left arm and push herself off the floor but a burning blaze went through her whole arm and starbursts of pain erupted behind her eyes. She collapsed again, helpless.

She heard footsteps echoing off the metal ladder, then gentle steps on the concrete. Suddenly there was light. It blinded Sakura. It was one of those artificial looking, too bright, too white lights that flickered and made a constant buzzing sound. She dragged her eyes up to scan her surroundings.

The floor was bare cement and the walls were lined with tall white refrigerators. A cabinet sat in the far corner of the room. And in the centre, Syaoran sat bound to a chair. His head hung over his chest and blood caked the side of his face, along with the rest of his body. She cried out when she saw him, her heart aching along with the rest of her body.

Ayumu stepped into her view, brandishing an axe stained with blood, fresh and old. He smiled at it, and then poked the end of it against Syaoran's head. It dangled and Syaoran remained motionless. Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes. "Stop that," she croaked.

He looked over at her, amusement glowing his eyes. "You would tell me what to do in a situation like this?"

"Please . . . don't hurt him," she pleaded, realizing how ridiculous she sounded as she glanced back at Syaoran's bloodied figure.

"Oh?" Ayumu said, hauling the axe over his shoulder as he turned to her. "But I can hurt you?"

She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't. She forced back her tears. She would not give him the satisfaction of her crying.

He stepped towards her, and then crouched down. He lifted her chin up with his finger so their gaze was level. His eyes burned with madness.

"Tsk," he cooed, shaking his head. "Perhaps it wouldn't have come to this if you hadn't looked so much like Itsumi."

"Who . . . who is Itsumi?" she gasped in anguish; the movement of his pulling her head had created a fire of pain in her neck.

He made a strange sound in his throat. "She . . . she had nice mousy hair like yours. Soft skin like yours. An innocent expression like yours. Smooth pink lips like yours." He ran his thumb gently across her lips. "And . . . she had those huge, emerald eyes." His grip on her chin tightened. He whispered, "So captivating."

Sakura breathed out, and it came out as a whimper.

"Itsumi . . . ." he muttered.

His head plunged forward and his lips crashed against hers. Pain exploded inside her head. He wrapped his fingers around her shoulders hard. Her left arm screamed in agony. She couldn't take it—she bit his lip and he retreated quickly, blood dribbling down his chin. He wiped it away and stood abruptly. He glared at her and then swept over to the ladder. He climbed up and disappeared.

The pain was beginning to subside as the adrenaline kicked in. She hauled herself to her feet, avoiding her left arm and putting too much weight on her right hip. She limped slowly and awkwardly over to Syaoran. She reached her right arm out to lift his head up. His eyes were open to blank slits. She felt a lump form in her throat and nausea roil in her stomach.

She looked around. Maybe something in the fridges or the cabinet would be of some help.

She limped over to the nearest fridge and pulled the door open with difficulty. A stench hit her nose and she fainted as soon as she saw what was in the refrigerator—or, as she had realized the hard way, the freezer.

Luckily she woke again only moments later. She didn't want to leave any evidence that she'd been snooping and lurched forward to vomit in the freezer.

A corpse had been stuffed in the appliance. Its skin was leathery and its hair was in clumps. The arm was broken at an odd angle. Strangely enough, it was a male corpse, not a female.

Sakura swiftly slammed the door shut. _That was something I can't un-see, _she thought miserably. She felt like being sick again but she had to do something for Syaoran. She looked around again. Were all of these fridges filled with . . . ?

She took a deep breath and made her way back over to Syaoran. She looked over him again, dread washing over her. She inspected his head, carefully peeling hair either damp with blood or crusted with it away from the wound. She let out a breath of relief when she saw the wound was shallow, though long and continually bleeding.

Thinking back to all of the movies she'd ever seen, she tore a piece of her sleeve off with some effort and pushed it against his head wound. It immediately soaked with red and anxiety built in her as she realized he needed a doctor, fast.

She went back to the freezer and scratched the artificial ice the lined the sides off into her hands. When she returned to Syaoran, she pressed them against his head and his chest in a pathetic hope that he would wake up.

Her heart almost stopped she felt hands wrap around her waist. She turned her head slowly to see Ayumu standing behind her. He pulled her closer to him, trapping her against his body.

"Oh, Itsumi," he murmured into her hair. Sakura trembled uncontrollably in his arms, her fear of the madman rising. Suddenly his grip on her tightened. She let out a cry of pain as his fingers clamped around her left elbow. "You . . . you've been a bad girl, Itsumi!"

He threw her aside with anger and force. She slammed into the ladder, tangling into the rungs. Something in her spine snapped and the breath left her as she tried to cry out. Not only could she not feel her spine now, but she couldn't feel her hips or part of her legs either. It frightened her.

She tried to get herself out of the ladder, but when she leaned forward pain seared through her left arm and shoulders and she quickly jumped back.

"Itsumi . . . ." Ayumu knelt in front of her and cupped his hands on her face. Before Sakura could register what was happening his lips were on hers.

"Hey!"

Syaoran's voice made Sakura jump in surprise.

"Get off her," he continued in a threatening tone. Sakura tried to look at him but she couldn't see past Ayumu.

Ayumu's lips parted slowly, and he turned to face the other man with the same low speed. Their eyes locked, Ayumu's dark and cold, Syaoran's fiery and determined. Both angry. Hateful. And sad.

Sakura knew it must have hurt them both to have to turn on each other after being together for so long. She also knew it was inevitable. It had to happen.

Ayumu stood up. He made his way over to Syaoran and stopped in front of him. Ayumu reached his hand out and touched Syaoran's hair lightly. His fingers moved down to the make-shift bandage Sakura had placed over the wound. He turned his head sharply back to face her. A shiver shot down her spine and she swallowed hard.

After a glare that lasted a moment but hateful enough to last a century, Ayumu turned back to Syaoran and tore the bandage off. Sakura winced and felt her panic growing. He was going to hurt Syaoran . . . he was going to kill Syaoran! She had to help . . . somehow . . .

She wriggled and pulled, trying to get herself free. The pain increased in her arms, across her shoulders, up her neck . . .

Eventually she couldn't take it anymore. Against her will, she passed out from the pain.

* * *

Syaoran wasn't sure what to think, or how to react. He was absolutely certain that Ayumu's mind had snapped.

The dark-haired man was cleaning Syaoran's wounds, and bandaging them. After washing them out with water, he was putting something else on them; he assumed it was something disinfecting, maybe rubbing alcohol, although it was thick, as it stung immensely. Ayumu had a light-hearted expression, a smile, but his eyes were pure madness. Neither said a word; Ayumu would chuckle and shake his head while he worked, as if to say, _Oh, Syaoran, you've gotten into trouble again, you silly boy. _

Syaoran couldn't do much but sit, though. His hands were tied and his fingers were cut and bloodied. His legs weren't tied but they were wounded and hadn't yet been cleaned. He figured he'd wait until Ayumu had cleaned all of his injuries and maybe explained things to him before he'd make his escape—or, if necessary, attack—with Sakura.

After a few more unsettling moments, Ayumu began to wash Syaoran's leg wounds. Then Ayumu suddenly had tears streaking down his cheeks. Syaoran was bewildered.

"A-Ayumu?" he asked cautiously.

Ayumu wiped his eyes gingerly with his long fingers and chuckled. "I'm sorry, Syaoran-kun. It's just . . . I've had such fun with you. We got along so well together, our work was perfection . . ." He sniffled and looked at the ground. "Although I should have expected this. It's happened before. Why, this man here, Kyouta-chan . . ." Ayumu wandered over to the freezer on the left side of the room. Syaoran's eyes followed him, a sense of horror and dread reeling in his stomach.

Ayumu threw the door to the freezer open. Nausea roiled in Syaoran's stomach and a cold sweat broke out over his skin, but he stayed composed. He'd seen more corpses in his lifetime than anyone should ever have had to see. The only problem with this one was that it had been dead for a long time.

Ayumu reached out and stroked the corpse's cheek tenderly. "Kyouta . . . he was with me for two years. Probably the longest out of all of them. But Kyouta made the mistake of bringing me Itsumi."

Syaoran made sure his voice was level and strong. "Who was Itsumi, Ayumu-chan, if you don't mind my asking?" Perhaps he could make Ayumu feel as if this were just a normal day and no one had to die.

Ayumu turned and shot an angry look at Syaoran. But the anger melted into anguish. "I loved her, Syao-chan. I loved her so much."

Syaoran remembered what he had wondered days ago; had Ayumu fallen in love?

Had he . . . _killed _his love?

Ayumu pointed at Sakura's limp form. "This girl is the _spitting image _of Itsumi, Syao-chan. I just _can't handle it._"

Syaoran's heart sank. "You mean to . . . kill her."

Ayumu nodded. If Syaoran hadn't known better he'd have thought Ayumu was perfectly sane. But Syaoran _did _know better. "I'm sorry, Syaoran. I know you really liked her."

_Don't use past tense already, _Syaoran thought. _It isn't over yet. _

Ayumu shut the door. "I hoped you'd never have to see this, Syaoran, but unfortunately you have."

The tears were streaking down Ayumu's face again. He looked like an ethereal angel.

He was actually a deranged devil.

"Syaoran, I can honestly say I've had the most fun with you. And that's why . . . I'm going to end it all here. All of it," he said.

Ayumu picked up the bucket of thick rubbing alcohol and splashed it around the room. Then he kicked it over so it just leaked across the floor.

Syaoran's heart nearly stopped when Ayumu drew a match from his back pocket. As he lit it, he shot Syaoran an apologetic look.

A realization washed over Syaoran.

It wasn't rubbing alcohol.

It was gasoline.

* * *

**LES GASP! Ayumu wants to set everything and everyone on FIRE! MADMAN! MADMAN! :D Mwahaha. I hope you liked this chapter. It took FOREVER to write, I know, and I'm really, really sorry. But it seems fitting that it would be updated on Halloween, though, doesn't it? :) I know it seems weird that Syaoran would mistake gasoline for rubbing alcohol . . . but I put THICK rubbing alcohol. :D I just didn't want to give it away that it was gasoline, okay!**

**Anyways, please REVIEW, and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	15. Hell

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_**Hell**_

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**So yes…it's been quite some time again. My friend started reading this recently and pointed out that every chapter starts with an 'I'm sorry'… D: The sad truth. But because of that friend, I've been motivated (threatened) to write the next chapter, every minute of every day. So here it is. :P I hope you like it. The first half, I think, is really quite good. ;) The second half is a bit choppy though. :P **

**Shout out to Arielle. ;) **

**Also, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! :D **

* * *

The sudden heat enveloped Syaoran. It hurt so much . . . he could smell it burning . . . smell what burning? The room? The gasoline? His clothes? His hair? His skin? A haze of flame and smoke blurred the air around him. It hurt to breathe. Everything was on fire . . . that small little spark that Ayumu had lit on his small little match had immediately burst and spread to every little corner of the room that had been touched by the gasoline.

His wounds. Ayumu had cleaned them out with the gasoline, had covered him in it. Now, as he craned his neck to look down at himself, they were bleeding and blistering and causing a symphony of agony. Syaoran cried out but choked on it and coughed. His eyes watering, he glanced around. Sakura . . . Sakura was still on the floor! He had to get her out! But he hadn't even untied himself yet!

His head snapped to the right as he heard a howling laughter. There was another figure in the flames, twirling and laughing a terrible scream as it danced about.

Syaoran's attention was brought back to himself when the legs of the chair he was tied to burned and collapsed. He hit the ground with a thump that went unheard in the shrieking of the flames. He tugged his arms away from each other, and the burnt ropes that bound them together crumbled. He pushed himself to his feet and staggered forward, holding his arms out. His legs—so sore—he probed the air for a wall to lean on, but didn't find one and those sore legs gave out beneath him.

Now his eyes weren't watering—he was crying. He couldn't stop the tears from cascading over his cheeks. He left feeling embarrassed for later . . . if there was a later.

_No! _he shouted at himself. _I'm not giving up. _

He looked around, and saw the shadows of the freezers behind him. He was closer to the exit than he thought. He took a deep breath, and was surprised when he didn't start heaving on the smoke. Then he smiled to himself. "Stop, drop, and roll," he murmured.

He dragged himself to the general area of the exit. He was soon able to see the dark heap that was Sakura. His heart leapt into his throat and he prayed that she was okay. Begged that she was okay.

Syaoran's eyes widened when a foot was placed before him. He looked up to see Ayumu's grey eyes staring wildly down at him.

"What are you doing!" he shouted. "I'm ending it here! That means you can't leave!"

"I'm leaving!" Syaoran rasped, and pulled himself forward so he could latch on to Ayumu's leg. He sank his teeth into the other man's leg as hard as he could, until he felt metallic liquid rush over his tongue. He spat it out and got to his knees before jamming his closed fist into the crotch of Ayumu's pants. As he bellowed in pain, Syaoran darted as fast as he could around him. Finally he reached Sakura. He wrapped his arms around her gently and kissed her hair. He turned his gaze up; the ladder wasn't particularly short but he had to get up them somehow. And he had to get Sakura up them, as well.

Syaoran got to his feet and grasped the highest rung he could reach, but quickly pulled back. The metal was sizzling; as if he didn't have enough blisters already.

He looked down at Sakura, falling into panic. He had to get out soon. His vision was blurring again; he'd inhaled too much smoke. Glancing around, he chanted to himself, _think fast, get through it. Think fast, get through it. _

He unbuckled his belt and propped Sakura up, then pressed his hip to hers and ran the belt through both loops. When it was buckled as securely as possible, Syaoran placed Sakura on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grabbed hold of the rung again and ignored the pain as he started up the ladder. A few torturous moments later he reached the fifth rung away from the exit, his body screaming in torment. He felt Sakura's weight tip backwards. He craned his neck around, sweat and blood dripping in his eyes, to see Ayumu gripping her hair with one hand and the axe in the other. His eyes burned crazier than the flames that engulfed them.

Syaoran's heart lurched. He didn't have the time for this. He and Sakura had been in the fire and smoke too long—he had to get them out!

Ayumu's axe pressed into Sakura's cheek. Through the flames Syaoran saw the crimson liquid dribble down the scorching blade. It pressed deeper and the skin around her wound began the burn and blister. Panic rose in Syaoran's chest as he searched his brain for a way to get out.

He reached down and fumbled with the belt buckle as quickly as he could one-handed, his heart pounding against his ribs. Finally he got it undone and tore it away from the belt loops, at the same time twisting around to wrap his arm around Sakura. He pulled her up and away from Ayumu, though the other man had seen the sudden movement and drove the blade deeper into Sakura's cheek. Ayumu shrieked in outrage, and Syaoran whipped his belt down at him. He felt the metal buckle connect and Ayumu screamed again before falling to the ground.

Feeling dizzy and panicked, knowing he didn't have much time, Syaoran decided to hoist Sakura up first. He balanced himself on the ladder rungs, rasping out his breaths as his eyelids got heavier, and pushed Sakura up with both of his arms. With one arm shakily holding her up by the entrance, Syaoran took a step up himself. Four rungs to go. Then another. Three. He shoved Sakura through the exit and her legs dangled over the first ladder rung. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe now . . . she was away from the fire . . . right?

"Sakura!" he yelled in desperation. "Sakura, wake up!"

Mid-step, Syaoran felt hands clasp around his torso, pulling him backwards. He lost his footing on the ladder and flipped over, falling to the concrete ground he'd tried so hard to escape from. He landed on top of Ayumu, who didn't move when Syaoran crawled off of him.

Syaoran was certain he was going to pass out. Blood was trailing from him, from his arms, his head, his legs, his stomach—he'd lost so much. Maybe too much. He'd also breathed in too much smoke.

. . . _I'm going to die, aren't I? _Syaoran thought to himself. _I hope Sakura woke up. I think she did. I hope she doesn't come back for me. She should run away. _

As if this were a new thought, he mustered the clearest voice he could manage and shouted, "Sakura, get away! Syaoran will be fine, don't worry!"

He realized, with a pang of guilt, that the last part was a lie. He wasn't going to be fine, was he? Not trapped in this fire. He eyed the ladder. He was certain he didn't have enough energy to even crawl way over the again, let alone climb to the top and run away. He noticed, with deep satisfaction, that Sakura's limp form no longer hung from the exit.

He leaned back and looked around. There was nothing around him, just the freezers and Ayumu's limp body in the small place that blazed uncontrollably.

He was truly in Hell. This was what Hell looked like, he was absolutely certain.

He was also certain, as he cast his gaze on his old friend's form, that he knew what the Devil looked like, as well.

* * *

_The fire . . . the flames lick up at my legs. Everything hurts. Everything hurts so much. Syaoran, help me! Please help me, Syaoran! _

_His voice rings out from the fire. He's telling me that he'll be okay, that I should run. I don't feel like running, I feel too much pain, but I know I should if Syaoran's telling me to. So I get to my feet and run as far as I can . . . where is that? Still in that crazy man's mansion? Or is it outside? Or is it still in that Hellish place with all the heat and flames? What's happening . . . it's so dark . . ._

* * *

Sakura's eyes flew open and she sucked in a deep breath, only to break into a fit of coughing. She doubled over and hacked until her throat felt raw and her head throbbed and made her vision fuzzy.

She leaned back, breathing shakily, and took in what was around her. She was . . . in a bed. In a white room, with curtains drawn around her bed. In her right hand was a big needle connected to a tube, which was connected to a big machine that beeped constantly.

A hospital. That's where she was.

She looked over herself. She was bandaged head to toe, more thickly in certain places. It hurt when she moved.

There was only one thing to do. She took a deep breath, bit back a cough, and yelled out, "Hello! Is anyone here?"

In seconds, a nurse was running into the room and tearing the curtains away from her bed. The nurse grinned at her. "Oh, thank goodness! You're awake!"

* * *

Soon enough, there was a nurse, a doctor, a police officer and another man standing around her bed.

"Do you know who you are?" the doctor asked.

"Kinomoto Sakura," Sakura rasped.

"Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital . . . in Hokkaido."

The doctor nodded, and the policeman stepped forward. "Do you remember what happened before you blacked out, Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura stared blankly at her bed sheets as recalled the events. "The house . . . the mansion was burning . . . the basement was burning."

The officer nodded. "Correct. The building that once stood there burned to the ground in the middle of the night. Then what?"

"I was running . . ."

The other man, slightly on the bigger side, stepped forward. "I saw her running. She was all wobbly like, looked disoriented . . . the she just fell. Passed out."

The policeman's eyes slid from the other man to Sakura. "Is this true?"

Sakura hesitated and then nodded blankly. "I was running . . . he told me to run—"

The officer leaned forward, apparently interested. "Who told you to run?"

"Syaoran—" Sakura stopped and her eyes widened. Her heart quickened as panic closed a fist around her chest. "Oh my God, Syaoran! Syaoran was in the house—he was in the fire!" Her voice climbed to a higher pitch as she reached hysteria. Tears spilled over her lashes and she screamed. "No! No! He told me to run—I shouldn't have! I was so delirious, it was so hot, it hurt so much! I shouldn't have left, I should've . . . I should've . . ." She was cut off by her own sobs.

After a moment of stunned silence from the crowd around the bed, the only sound Sakura's hysteric crying, the police officer recollected himself. He placed a hand reassuringly on the young girl's bandaged shoulder. "Sweetheart, who is Syaoran? Did he start the fire?"

"No, it was all _him, _it's all _his _fault!" Sakura sobbed. "Syaoran . . ." She reached forward and gripped the man's jacket. "He has tanned skin and chocolatey hair and a nice body. He's twenty-one and he has the most amazing amber eyes." Her eyes glistened as exhaustion and sadness settled over her. She released her grip on the policeman's uniform and leaned back against her bed, her throat constricted. Realization washed over her. "He's dead, isn't he?" Her voice was now quiet and flat.

The cop stuttered in his response, taken aback by Sakura's sudden mood change. "N-now, we . . . we don't know that, I mean . . . he could've gotten away too."

Sakura's emerald green gaze locked with the man's stunned blue one, and fresh, hot tears made rivulets down her cheeks.

"Don't lose hope," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "We'll look for him. Thank you for your description."

Sakura smiled back at him, and he, along with the others, caught a glimpse of the angel. "Thank you," she whispered, barely audible.

* * *

"Your spine is fractured. In an emergency surgery we put a disc between two of the vertebrae, so after some rehabilitation you should be fine. Your hip is broken, as is your left arm. You suffered from a concussion and twisted your shoulder. Your skin is burned but you were wearing a lot of clothing so that will clear up. However . . . there is a cut on your face. It's very deep and it will leave a scar. Do you understand?"

Sakura nodded weakly. She didn't care, not if Syaoran was gone. Just thinking of him made her throat close up.

"Doctor," she asked weakly, "when will I be able to leave the hospital?"

His face saddened and he pushed his round glasses further up his nose. "You will be here for a little while, my dear. But not too long. If you believe in yourself, you'll feel better faster. Believe me."

She managed a weak, unconvincing smile. "But what about the rehab?"

"That doesn't require you to live in the hospital. Perhaps an hour everyday for a few months will be all that is needed before you can use your spine to the full extent." He reached out and placed a warm hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the comfort. "Please, don't worry. I promise you'll be good as new when I'm finished with you." He winked at her. "They call me the magic doctor."

Sakura observed her doctor. He had dark eyes behind his glasses, and unusually long, black hair tied loosely back. His smile was comforting.

She smiled at him. "I believe you, Reed-sensei. Thank you."

* * *

Sakura stared dully at the TV screen above her bed. The new headline was how the Kinomoto heiress had been found with severe injuries outside a burning mansion in a rural area of Hokkaido. Her mother and father, crying with false happiness. Reed-sensei politely refusing to let the reporters into her room.

She clicked the television off.

She was missing something. She was missing a part of her. Syaoran . . . he was dead. He had to be. He was stuck in that basement, seriously injured, breathing in smoke . . . there was no way he could have survived. And she knew that.

But she couldn't stop herself from hoping. She hoped with all of her heart that he was okay, that he was safe. And she hated herself for it. Her life had taught her something about hope. Whenever she hoped for something, the pain came back at her ten-fold. Especially when what she hoped for was unrealistic—like this hope. But she couldn't let it go. She wanted to believe he was alive, that she would see him again and kiss him again and smile at him again.

Her eyes were sore from how much she had cried already, but of course, she couldn't stop the tears from coming again now. She didn't know what to believe: hope or realism?

Before another thought could cross her mind, thunder boomed and lightning flashed outside her window. Her breath caught in her throat and she turned away from the glass pane, pulling the covers over her head and burying herself in them as she choked on her sobs.

* * *

**:O Oh mah goodness! What's gonna happen now, do you think? Tell me in a review! Also tell me what you thought of the chapter, was it satisfactory? I promise, I will try to update faster from now on but just a warning: high school sucks. XD It's winter break though, so who knows, maybe there's a new chapter coming very soon? :3 REVIEW! And Merry Christmas!**


	16. Family

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

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**Chapter 16**

_**Family**_

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**Ooh, a quicky update! :D Whattaya know, I was able to update during the break after all! I wasn't sure if I'd be able to because I've been to addicted to Teen Titans and I got a tablet for Christmas so I've been drawing Teen Titans fan art on there….I didn't know if I'd be able to pull away. XD But then I felt like writing and thus you have this chapter! It's good and bad, I'll let you decide which one fits it better. :P I hope you like it, anyway. Happy New Year! **

* * *

_I can't believe I'm back here, _Sakura thought miserably, glancing around her room. It was ridiculously large for a teenage girl's bedroom; then again, everything was. The bathroom attached to her room, the bed she was lying in, the windows, and the mirrors. It was suffocating, really. She yearned for the cozy little room she had shared with Syaoran at Tomoyo and Eriol's house. The bed was perfect for the two of them, soft without being too soft. The bed she was in now was so soft that when she sat on it, it was like being swallowed by a malicious silk monster.

She stretched out her arms, and immediately dropped them with a shout of pain. Without thinking she had stressed her broken arm. Looking down at it, she wondered—certainly not for the first time—where Syaoran was. Was he enduring this pain too? Worse? Or was he okay? Or was he—

She shut her brain, not wanting a fit of sobs to engulf her again. Her parents had scolded her when she'd done it the first time.

Sakura had been transferred from the hospital to her home after a few days. There was a big commotion about it, because the two Kinomoto heads had come personally to get her. Her mother had embraced her while tears rushed down her cheeks, so happy that her daughter was now safe in her arms. Her father had stroked her hair, letting a single tear fall. Of course, news cameras around the globe taped that part. As soon as they were back in their house, make-up was reapplied listlessly and faces were stony again.

Now she awaited her interrogation. It happened every time she was returned from a kidnapping. _How twisted does that sound? "Every time." _

She shook her head and touched her face with her good hand. The doctor had said the bandage could come off in a few days' time, but there would be a scar. Her parents had been outraged when they discovered that, for it would ruin the air of perfection about their family of beauty.

The door clicked suddenly and Sakura was pulled out of her thoughts. She looked up as her mother and father entered the room, backs straight and chins up. She observed the faces she had enjoyed being away from. Her father, Fujitaka, had greying hair swept away from his face. His eyes were a cold grey under his glasses, and his lips were a thin line.

Her gaze turned over to her mother, Nadeshiko. Her thin black hair was layered and angled, making her face look longer and thinner. Her lips were plump and always painted red, and her eyes were warm and brown from far away. But when you looked closer, they appeared quite cruel.

Overall, the pair was breathtaking. Toya had clearly inherited Nadeshiko's looks and beauty. Sakura was more like her father.

After a moment, Nadeshiko said, "Well, Sakura. Tell us what happened."

Sakura opened her mouth, calculating what she would say. She was going to make sure they thought Syaoran was doing everything totally against his will.

"Uhm . . . I got kidnapped," she began shakily.

Nadeshiko drew in an impatient breath. Sakura knew that meant she was to hurry up.

"I was taken from Kagoshima to Hokkaido by a man who was being held against his will by another man, the one who wanted me in Hokkaido," she continued, carefully observing her parent's expressions. At this they exchanged a subtle glance. "Together we made a plan to try and take him down, but it kind of went haywire and the murderer ended up starting a fire and Syaoran got caught in it—" she choked at the last part as the memories flooded back to her. She touched her cheek again and missed Syaoran with a new wave of sadness.

"Slow down," her father said. "Who is Syaoran?"

"Syaoran is the man who was being used against his will. He was brainwashed by the other man, the real murderer, who started using him as a pet," Sakura explained, wringing her fingers together. It was technically true; she left out the part about Ayumu and Syaoran's inevitable bond of sorts.

There was an eerie silence as Nadeshiko and Fujitaka contemplated this.

"Brainwashed how?" Fujitaka asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"S-stockholm Syndrome."

He nodded, his face unreadable.

"The name."

Sakura looked at her mother, confused.

Nadeshiko jaw clenched in irritation. "_The murderer's name, Sakura._" She spoke like her daughter was incredibly slow.

"A . . . Mimasaka Ayumu, ma'am," she said quietly.

"We'll have to look him up," Fujitaka suggested to Nadeshiko.

"I suppose," she sighed as if Sakura weren't there.

Sakura's heart tightened. She really hadn't missed this cruelty. She missed Syaoran's strong, warm arms. Absentmindedly, she hugged her own arms.

Fujitaka turned back to Sakura. "Who was Syaoran?"

"I don't know. He doesn't know. He doesn't remember who he was before he was brainwashed, only that he had a cousin. An estranged cousin," she added.

He only blinked. "Did he mistreat you?"

"No!" she shouted quickly. She cleared her throat, her face heating up. "Ah, no. He was—he was actually really great."

Both of her parents fixed her with a cold stare, like they knew she wasn't telling them something.

She squeezed her fingers more. "He—he's missing. He was in the fire . . . and I don't think he got out."

Nadeshiko flicked her hair out of her face. "Then he's dead."

Her chest tightened. "Well, he might not—"

"Very unlikely." Nadeshiko spun around on her heel and started toward the door, with Fujitaka falling in step beside her. "We'll look up Mimasaka Ayumu and have him arrested, if he didn't die in the fire too." She stopped at the doorframe and rested her hand on the wall. She turned her head so Sakura could see a sliver of her face. "Welcome back, Sakura."

The look on her mother's face sent a shiver down Sakura's spine. Her lips parted in surprise; Nadeshiko's face was shadowed and her brows were pulled into a subtle frown. Her eyes looked black with a tint of hatred and her mouth was certainly not a smile.

In a moment, she was gone and Sakura was alone again. She stared at the door, shocked. Her mother had always been cruel, but she had never given Sakura such a look of hatred before. And she had talked about her kidnapping like it was just a passing thought.

Sakura hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her thighs, ignoring the pain it caused and feeling tears coming on once more. Why did she have to come back to this hellhole? Why did her parents treat her so coldly? Weren't mothers supposed to love and be loved? There were too many questions that Sakura wanted to ask, but of course only one that she really wanted answered: Where was Syaoran?

She looked up suddenly when her door clicked open, attempting to gather herself as quickly as possible in case it was her father or her mother. A small voice in the back of her head said that maybe it was her mother coming back to apologize.

But when the door opened all the way, she felt her first her smile since she'd been home spread across her face. Walking into her room was the only person she'd actually wanted to see from her household; her brother, Toya.

His long legs carried him over to her bed, where he sat down and observed her injuries. "Hi, Sakura," he said, smiling and pushing his ink black hair away from his tanned face.

"Hi, Toya," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Sensing that his little sister was about to cry, he outstretched his arms and gathered her into them. He tried to be as gentle as possible because of her injuries, though she hugged him back so tightly one would never guess she was hurt.

"It's okay, little monster," he soothed in his deep voice, "you can cry now."

Sakura's body trembled before she let her tears take over.

* * *

_Syaoran was smiling at her, holding his hand out for her to take. "Come on," he said, though his voice was quiet. "Come with me."_

_The light was very bright, wherever they were. Almost blinding. It made her sweat, so she guessed it was the sun. She smiled at Syaoran and reached her hand out to grasp his. As her fingers neared his, he suddenly drew them back, taking a step away. His face clouded over. "Run!" he yelled. "Get away from here!" _

_He took another step backward, and started to fall. Everything started to go slower. Sakura stepped forward groggily and saw the flames lick up at Syaoran's spine. He fell back as he lost his footing completely and the fire swallowed him up. Sakura couldn't move fast enough until he was already gone. She looked over the edge and leapt backwards when a burning body, skin melting away from its face to reveal an eerie and permanent grin, jumped up at her, teeth clattering. It took her a moment to notice it was saying a word: her name. _

"_Sakura!"_

_She shrieked when she realized it was Syaoran._

* * *

She sat up and slapped her hands over her mouth to stop her scream. She was covered in a sheen of cold sweat and felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. When she had calmed down a little, she looked around her bed and felt a ball of panic form in her stomach when she saw that Toya was no longer there. She knew she had fallen asleep holding his hand.

She noticed a paper on her bedside table, and reached over with her good arm to retrieve it.

_Sakura, _

_I'm sorry, but I had to leave on business. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. For now, try to feel better and don't think about any boys that aren't me or I'll hurt them worse than you ever were. _

_-Toya_

She smiled as she read his note. The bit about the boys was in there certainly to cheer her up and make her feel as if everything was normal. She had to admit that it worked; her mood was lighter and it helped her forget about her creepy dream as she thought of how Toya would react when he met Syaoran.

If he met Syaoran.

She remembered her mother's words: _"Then he's dead."_

"_Very unlikely."_

At that moment, her door opened and her mother stepped in, clad in a tight-fitting business jacket and skirt.

"Good morning, Mother," Sakura greeted, and plastered on a smile.

Nadeshiko didn't even attempt to return it. "I looked up Mimasaka Ayumu last night."

"Oh. What did you find?"

"He owns two brothels, three underground gambling centres, he runs a business selling illegal weapons and a business selling illegal drugs. He's been printed and brought to court once on a charge of rape but turned out not guilty for lack of evidence," Nadeshiko explained, putting her cigarette between her lips. She only smoked in the house where no press would see her. In the outside world she would never drink or smoke.

"I see," Sakura said. "But if the police know about all of his businesses, how was he not guilty?"

"They don't."

"Sorry?"

Her mother gave her that look and tone of voice that implied she was talking to someone that wasn't so bright. "The police don't know about the businesses."

Sakura hesitated a moment before responding. "Then how did you find out?"

But she was already closing the door behind her, leaving only a trail of smoke.

Sakura let out a deep breath and leaned back against her pillows. Now she knew what Ayumu did for a living, besides the killing. Brothels, gambling, drugs . . . she probably could've guessed that if she'd thought about it.

Since Nadeshiko hadn't said anything about Syaoran, Sakura assumed she hadn't bothered to look into him.

Sakura closed her eyes and conjured Syaoran's face in her mind. His strong cheekbones and angular jawbone, his shaggy chocolate hair and his burning amber eyes . . .

She thought of her fear and despair when she'd first met Syaoran. But she'd quickly given that up for enjoyment of her last few days, and she knew that was when their connection had started.

Enjoyment of her last few days . . .

She'd told Syaoran she was optimistic, that she was having fun with him rather than fearing him. Eventually she'd started having so much fun that she'd just plain fallen in love with him.

Her mother's words floated once again into her mind, telling her Syaoran was dead. It made her clench her fists angrily and send a spark of pain up her left elbow. Who was she to say that he was never coming back? She wasn't God. She wasn't any kind of god, she was just a CEO's wife.

Picturing her horrible expression as she'd said "Welcome home" to her, Sakura felt like all of the anger she'd ever felt towards Nadeshiko was bubbling up and threatening to overflow. What kind of mother was she? What kind of mother had she ever been?

Syaoran wasn't dead. Sakura refused to believe it now. He was alive, and he would come back and prove Nadeshiko wrong and take her away from her horrible life. They could live happily together, like Eriol and Tomoyo. From then on, she would exercise her optimism as she had on her little adventure and look forward to the day when Syaoran came back.

Eventually she forgot her anger towards her mother and accidentally lulled herself to sleep thinking of what she could say or do when she saw Syaoran again, what they would do together. Then those thoughts played out as dreams and she was contented at that moment just being able to see him and touch him in her dreams, while in the waking world, believing—no, knowing that Syaoran would soon be back with her.

* * *

**It was pretty fillerish but gets into her relationship with her parents, especially her mother. It was just mediocre too but I feel that it'll get better soon so you have that to look forward to. :P I don't know when the next update'll be, whether it'll be soon or far away, since it's nearing exam time and whatnot. I'm gonna try my best to update more regularly of course, but just letting you know that exams suck. XD **

**Please remember to review and tell me what you think of the chapter! **


	17. Butler

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_**Butler**_

* * *

At the sound of her door opening, Sakura looked up in hopes that she would see Toya. Her happiness melted away when she heard the clacking of heels. The door was swung open and Nadeshiko sauntered in elegantly, looking slightly bored as always, followed by a young man. Sakura looked from her mother to the boy. Nadeshiko was looking at nothing in particular, and the exotic looking boy was standing pin straight and perfectly still. Sakura thought he could have been pulled right out of a bear-skinned hat in Buckingham Palace with his unmoving posture.

"Mother," Sakura started slowly, frowning uncertainly, "who is this boy? Why is he dressed in a butler's garments?"

Nadeshiko rolled her eyes quickly and shifted her weight from hip to hip. "Obviously because he _is _a butler."

Sakura held back from showing her immense irritation. She _hated _it when her mother acted like this. Which was always. "Well, I've never seen him around before. How was I supposed to know he was a butler?"

Nadeshiko flipped her hair over her shoulder haughtily. "He's been working in the kitchen for ages, Sakura, honestly." She turned to the boy. "I'm very sorry about this, Eamon. She can be a bit slow to catch on sometimes."

Sakura clenched her fists under the covers of her bedspread, though it sent pain shooting through her injured arm. Her mother should have been apologizing for her own behaviour, what with the way she was standing; her hips cocked to the side, her breasts pushed out, constantly brushing her hair back. Obviously she was attempting to seduce the young man, who looked no older than twenty.

He turned to Sakura and bowed politely. "Good evening, Miss Sakura. My name is Eamon Valero and starting today, I am going to be your personal butler."

Sakura spread her lips into a smile to hide her confusion. "I'm sorry, Eamon, but I didn't know I was going to be getting a personal butler?" The question was directed at Nadeshiko; she shot a pointed look at her mother.

Nadeshiko's lips twitched. "I figured you'd need someone that would be available to you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. And Eamon seems to be perfect for the job."

Sakura's smile widened until her face was sore with the falsity of it. It was clear to her that mother was trying to say she was weak, and was making a show of it. "Thank you for your consideration, Mother." She turned her attention to Eamon, and her expression softened. "Welcome to our home, Eamon. I won't try to bother you too much."

Eamon returned her half-hearted smile with a boyish grin of his own. "I should be saying the same to you, Miss Sakura!"

Sakura let out a brief giggle, then turned to her mother with one eyebrow raised. "Well, Mother, you've delivered him. You can go now." She flicked her wrists toward the door in a shooing gesture.

Nadeshiko fixed her with a subtle glare, flipped her hair over her shoulder a second time, and then stalked out of the room, closing the door with more force than was necessary. A proud smile blossomed across Sakura's lips. She congratulated herself for succeeding in irritating her mother.

Remembering her new butler, Sakura turned to Eamon and studied him properly for the first time. He had sleek charcoal hair that was combed back, with a few stray curls escaping and falling over his forehead. His skin was golden-brown, and he had cheekbones that created beautiful angles in his face. Finally, Sakura looked into his eyes and felt her chest tighten. His eyes were the same amber colour as Syaoran's. While they fit his visage differently as a whole, made him seem more catlike, when she focused only on his eyes she could almost picture Syaoran standing before her instead of Eamon.

"Miss Sakura?" Eamon's lightly accented voice shattered the image in her thoughts and brought her back to her bedroom.

She blinked rapidly and then pulled on a small smile. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, "I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

Her new butler returned her smile. "That's quite all right, Miss. I'm sorry for tearing you away from them."

A giggle bubbled up from her throat. "You don't need to be so, well . . . like that!"

Eamon blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching up. "Excuse me?"

"You know, apologizing for everything! I feel like you're just doing it to make fun," Sakura challenged.

He put a hand over his and gasped as if he'd been wounded. "Why, Miss Sakura, I would be nothing more than real for you. I'm sorry for offending you!"

Another giggle made it's way out. She felt herself warming up to this young man quickly. "You . . ."

A thump against her bedroom window interrupted their moment of playfulness. Eamon immediately straightened and fixed his gaze on the window. He dashed across the room with light feet and lifted the glass pane. After scanning the area outside, he slid the window back into place and returned to Sakura's side.

"I didn't see anything or anyone around outside, Miss Sakura. But I will keep my eye out for any other suspicious activity," he reported, his face entirely serious. Sakura was taken aback. It seemed he was a properly trained butler, after all.

A knock sounded from the other side of her door, and then Fujitaka let himself in without waiting for an answer, Dr. Clow Reed following behind him with a light-hearted expression. Sakura smiled when she saw the doctor; he had been very good to her in the hospital.

"Dr. Reed," she greeted, "hello. What brings you here?"

Dr. Reed smiled at her and set his medical kit down at the foot of her bed. "Just thought I'd come in and do a check-up on you. You're feeling better, right?"

Sakura nodded. "I don't get tired out as easily and I've been doing the rehabilitation exercises for my back like you told me to. My arm still hurts when I stretch it too far and I hate having to put weight on my hip . . ." On second thought, maybe she wasn't doing so good?

The doctor noticed her now uncertain expression and jumped in. "Your arm will be almost fully healed in about a week and a half, two weeks tops, and your hip will be following shortly after that. No need to worry about those, bones heal." He motioned for Sakura to sit up straight and turn around so her back was facing him. "As for your spine, you'll need to continue with your exercises for a few months and we'll see how you're doing." His fingers gently pressed into her back, feeling the places where her spinal chord was fractured, with plates between the vertebrae. He murmured to himself as he did so. Then his hand reached up to her shoulder and he pressed on it. Sakura didn't feel anything. "It seems your shoulder is completely healed, and your spine is doing fine right now. As I said, continue with the exercises. I think we can maybe just keep the plates where they are if the healing process continues to go so well."

Sakura smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eamon glancing warily out the window.

"Are there any places where your skin is irritating you?" Dr. Reed went on. Sakura pointed at her left shoulder blade. He lifted her shirt to inspect the burns, and Sakura noticed Eamon quickly wheel around to face the other direction. She bit back a giggle.

"Hmm," Dr. Reed mused, rubbing his knuckles against the misting of stubble on his jaw. "This area seems persistent. Keep putting the cream on it three times a day and hopefully it'll clear up soon. Don't worry when it starts to flake, that's normal."

Finally his check-up was finished, and he was pleased to report that she seemed to be healing nicely. He left with Fujitaka, who hadn't said a word the entire time. Sakura was about to open her mouth to say something to Eamon, when the doctor popped his head back into her room with a sheepish smile. "Sorry I forgot to mention this earlier," he said, "but you can take the bandage off your cheek now."

Sakura smiled politely and thanked him. When he was gone for good, Eamon turned around and stood with his hands crossed behind his back.

"How did you manage to get so banged up, Miss Sakura, if you don't mind my asking?" he inquired, curiosity evident in his eyes.

Sakura swallowed hard, touching the bandage on her face cautiously with the pads of her fingers. She was saved from answering when the door opened yet again and three maids trickled into the room and started cleaning up, collecting dirty laundry and fixing her things up.

She let out a sigh, and then carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed. Eamon handed her crutches to her and helped her up gently. She limped over to her mirror and stared into the reflection for a few moments. Then she gripped a corner of the gauze and attempted to tear it off. Her skin pulled and started to sting; she winced.

Suddenly, Eamon's warm hand was holding her face, turning it to face his. In his other hand was a damp, steaming cloth. "Here," he offered quietly, pressing the linen to her cheek. After a minute, he took the cloth away and set it down on a table. A maid rushed over and snatched it up, adding it to the dirty laundry pile. Eamon pinched the same corner Sakura had and tugged on it a couple of times. "Close your eyes," he whispered. "Count to ten."

Sakura frowned, but did as he said. _One, two, three, four, fi—_

_RIP._

Sakura let out a whimpering sound and cradled her cheek in the palm of her hand. It was now stinging a lot, so much that her eye had begun to water, but Eamon had effectively removed the bandage.

"All better?" Eamon asked with the hint of a smirk.

Sakura giggled with a smile as she nodded. "Yes, thank you." She started to take her hand away from her face, when her finger glided over a rough bump. Her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat dew at the nape of her neck. Suddenly her legs felt like lead and her head was spinning. She heard Eamon clear his throat and snap his fingers at the maids, signalling that it was time for them to leave, but she wasn't paying attention to them.

She was staring, as if she were in a trance, at her reflection. Her gaze was fixed on the marred skin beneath her eye. A raised, uneven scar stretched from the very top of her cheekbone to just below her mouth in a curved line. It pulled the skin around it tighter, making her face look slightly unbalanced. She slowly pressed her fingers against the reflection of the scar, feeling tears choke her throat. _This is it, _she thought, the tears clouding over her vision. Even through misty eyes, she could see the unsightly, fleshy pink against the soft beige of her skin. _I'm defected for life. _

She couldn't peel her eyes away from the face she saw mirrored in the glass before her, even as the tears cascaded over her eyelashes. She felt like an intruder in another person's body.

"You can't stand there forever, Miss Sakura." Eamon's gentle voice startled her out of her daze. "Maybe you should get some sleep." He held his arm for her, and she took it wordlessly, letting him lead her across the room. She sat on the bed, the air around her soured with depression.

Eamon sat down beside her. "Maybe now you'd like to tell me how you got your wounds?"

Sakura took in a long, shuddering breath. "It's a pretty long story, Eamon."

"I'm ready to listen if you're ready to tell me," he murmured, setting his hand on top of hers. She looked up at him, about to tell him that she should really be getting some sleep, when she caught his eyes. They were so much like Syaoran's . . . she suddenly felt like she was sitting in the car with him, that it was his hand resting on hers, warming her body and her soul. Not Eamon's. And suddenly the story came gushing out of her, tears sliding over her lashes every now and then.

When she was finished, she was out of breath and feeling fatigued. Eamon smiled at her and Sakura saw Syaoran smiling at her. She smiled back. Eamon gently coaxed her to lie back and she felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Through cloudy eyes she glanced back up at Eamon and caught a glimpse of the chocolate hair she yearned to see before drifting into sleep.

Eamon observed her from his spot on the mattress. Her short auburn hair was splayed around the pillow, framing her face in a chaotic static mess. Eamon's mouth quirked into a smile and he gingerly smoothed her hair down with his hand. He examined her face, and looked at the new blemish. _It isn't so bad, _he thought, as if she could hear him. _You still look . . . _

His smile curved into a slightly bigger one. "Beautiful," he decided, whispering the word aloud to her. She'd always intrigued him, though he never got to see her up close working as just a kitchen helper. He was ecstatic when Nadeshiko had offered for him to be her daughter's personal butler. And after hearing the story of what she'd gone through . . . he felt even better that he'd been offered the job. She really needed someone right now, especially since her supposed boyfriend Syaoran's whereabouts were unknown.

Hearing what he'd murmured to her, Sakura shifted under her covers. "Syaoran . . ."

Eamon hung his head and chuckled to himself. It seemed Syaoran was on her mind even while she slept. He dragged his hand down his face and chuckled again, then stood and swept out of the room with one last glance back at Sakura.

* * *

_She was running, as fast as she could. But she just couldn't run fast enough. Her legs were moving like rocks, and she couldn't scream. She glanced around her frantically, seeing nothing but shadows enveloping everything. She heard his laugh, high pitched and maniacal. Ayumu. She didn't know where he was. His laugh echoed around, coming from everywhere. She turned her head and shrieked. Suddenly he was standing calmly directly in front of her, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his pants. His smile was predatory. She tried to skid to a stop, but it wasn't working. She was going to fall right into his arms. In an instant, he turned into her mother, looking at her as if she were the filth on her shoe. Sakura fell against her, and wondered whether she could cling to her mother for a feeling of closure. But Nadeshiko made her mind up for her; she stepped back and shook Sakura's hands from her torso, making a shooing gesture. She turned on her heel and started walking the other way until the shadows swallowed her as well. Sakura kept on running, her legs still feeling like lead weights. Thunder boomed, followed by a threatening crack of lightning just above her, illuminating the area around her in a pale white light. She caught a glimpse of rich brown hair and whirled around, her heart pumping insanely. Lightning flashed again, but she swallowed again and hurried over to Syaoran. Crouching down beside him, she brushed the hair away from his face, and felt dust between her fingers as she did so. _

"_Syaoran . . .?" she whispered, leaning in closer to him. Again lightning stabbed through the night, and Sakura felt her stomach rise up to her throat. It wasn't dust. It was ash. Syaoran's skin was burnt and flaking, his hair thinning into ash. She reached out to touch it again, and Syaoran began to crumble away from her fingers, opening a pit beneath him from which flames erupted. Sakura tried to scream but it stuck in her throat. Instead she cried as the deranged laughter rang out all around her—_

Sakura was startled awake by an enormous thumping sound, followed by a crash of thunder. She looked around the room, squinting into the darkness. Lightning clapped after the thunder, brightening her room in the same white light she'd seen in her nightmare and raising goosebumps on her arms. She caught a shadow move in the corner of her eye, near the same window that she and Eamon had heard a bump at earlier that day. When she was finally able to focus, nothing was there. Her window was left open a crack, the curtains lightly stirring. She was surrounded by only the sounds of the rain pouring down around her.

Eamon burst into the room, wearing only a pair of black pants and an undershirt. He was breathing heavily, signalling that he'd run to her room as fast as he could.

"I heard a noise, Miss Sakura!" he called to her over the sound of the rain. "Was someone in here just now?"

Sakura blinked rapidly and shook her head, followed by a shrug. Her butler ran over to the open window, lifted it, and leaned out of it. He yelled something into the night that Sakura couldn't hear. He growled in frustration and pulled away from the window, closing it tightly. His head was soaked, water dripping from his hair down his face. His wet undershirt clung to his body; Sakura looked away only after confirming that Syaoran's was more toned. He shook his head lightly at her. "Forgive me, Miss Sakura. I didn't see anyone outside. But it is suspicious. Don't worry, though; your windows are locked now."

Sakura nodded.

Eamon looked down at himself. "I'm so sorry, Miss Sakura, I'm dripping water all over your fancy carpet. I'll retire immediately." He lifted his head and smiled reassuringly at her. Then he stepped lightly back over to the door, closing it shut behind him.

Sakura sank back down under her covers, wishing now more than ever that Syaoran was here. Syaoran would have stayed with her, would've wrapped her in his arms and held her securely for the entire night, telling her she would be fine. But instead she was lying here, alone, not knowing where Syaoran was and worrying so much it made her feel sick.

* * *

She woke late into the morning, dragging herself out of her bed and washing up. Then she went back to her bed and sat atop the covers, turning the TV on. She wondered if her mother or father had bothered to look more into finding Syaoran. They obviously didn't see how much she cared for him. Or they didn't care.

There was a knock at her door, and she waited for her mother or father to barge in. When a few seconds passed and the knocker still stayed outside, she called out, "Come in?"

Eamon carefully opened the door, looking a little stunned. "Good morning, Miss Sakura. I was hoping you'd be up."

"What is it, Eamon?"

He pointed to the TV. "You might be interested in the news channel, Miss Sakura."

Frowning, Sakura flipped over to the channel he'd suggested. Her fingers went slack and the remote slipped from her grip when she saw who they were interviewing.

It was Syaoran.

* * *

**What do you guys think of Eamon, huh? :P Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I guess it hasn't been as long as it has been before. :P I wanna kind of hurry and finish Multiple Personalities as well as this because I kind of want to start a real manuscript. I mean I know I'm only fourteen, but, early bird gets the worm, I hope! XD I've been thinking of changing my pen name to something more like a name . . . I've been toying with first names Julianne, Kory, Anatolia, or Angie, and last names Alexander, Grayson, Curtis, and Soto . . . those are the only ones I can think of now, but what do you guys think? I might put a poll up about it. Tell me what you think in a review, and what you think Syaoran's doing on TV! Also, I hope here nightmare wasn't too long...**


	18. Reunion

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

_**Reunion**_

* * *

Syaoran was sitting on the interviewer's guest chairs, a giant bruise that even professional make-up couldn't cover up spreading across his entire left cheek. Beside him sat a woman about his age with long, dark hair gathered into a bun and sharp bronze eyes.

"So," the interviewer was saying, "to recap, you've been missing for just over a year?"

Syaoran nodded, his posture oddly stiff as to not disturb his broken ribs. They were almost fully healed but that didn't mean they didn't hurt.

"And," the interviewer went on, glancing at the camera, "you have no memory of that time?"

Syaoran swallowed. "No," he replied with a slight shake of his head. His expression was deeply troubled.

"Tell us what you remember about returning home."

"I woke up in Hokkaido, with no idea where I was . . . and I was beat up and burned—burned like I had just made a visit to _hell_ . . . I didn't know what else to do, so I waited at the side of the road until someone stopped for me. The girl just happened to be a doctor, so she took a look at me and told me I needed to go to the hospital right away. I got airlifted to Tokyo hospital and when I finally got out I was able to come home to Kyoto and see Meiling and my grandmother." He glanced at the girl beside him, who reached over and put her hand over his.

The camera zoomed in on Syaoran so that you could clearly see the bruise, yellowing in some spots that were sickly green; a dark purple, almost black, in other places. His hair was singed shorter, blackened at the tips.

"So you were in a fire, correct?"  
"Yeah . . . I actually needed to get some skin grafts on my hands, face and arms because they were burnt pretty badly." Syaoran held up his bandaged hand, and then placed it on his head. "I also got an unexpected hair cut." He smiled, but no one else could tell that it was half-hearted.

"Do you remember anything at all—"

Without warning, Syaoran doubled over in a fit of coughing. He put his hand over his mouth, being careful not to press his fingers onto the bruise, and when his fit was over there was blood on his hand. He clenched his fingers, unsure of what to do. A sharp pain burst at his side and he looked down at the spreading scarlet stain on his white shirt, thinking _not again. _

The interviewer and Meiling jumped up at the same time. Shocked, the interviewer told the audience that the program would need to be cut short due to unexpected circumstances.

* * *

Sakura felt her mouth getting dry and finally remembered to close it. She felt like she was going to puke. Her stomach had twisted into a knot of spiralling confusion. Her heart was thudding painfully, as if it wanted to run to Syaoran at any cost. Her vision had begun to go blurry. Syaoran's face, bruised and bandaged, was burned into her mind and she could see nothing else. Her throat started to burn—

"Miss Sakura." Eamon's gentle voice was at her side, his warm breath on her ear. "Breathe."

Sakura gasped and coughed, as if she had just been saved from drowning and was choking out water. She took in several ragged breaths and even started to scare herself with her unnatural reaction. She couldn't stop the wheezing, the pain in her throat.

Eamon put his hand on her back, rubbed it soothingly. "It's okay. You're all right." When her gasping didn't stop, he tried, "_Syaoran's _all right."

Slowly Sakura's breathing returned to normal. She looked at Eamon.

"You started to hyperventilate," he informed her. "You're okay now?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Then she got to her feet, her mouth set in a determined line. Soon she was bolting down the hallways of her home, her legs pounding. She knew she was making a ruckus but she frankly didn't care. She needed to see Syaoran.

She finally found her mother in the dining room, a small bowl of soup set in front of her as she scrolled intently through her Blackberry.

"Mother." When Nadeshiko didn't respond, she said more loudly, "Mother!"

Finally she looked up with that same cold, bored stare. "Really, Sakura, what is it?"

Sakura swallowed, her brows pulling together. "I . . . I know where Syaoran is."

Nadeshiko took a moment to reply. "Do you."

"Yes, and he doesn't remember what's happened to him in the past year, and I need to go to him and tell him—"

"No."

Sakura didn't blink, staring at her mother. "What?"

"I said no," Nadeshiko repeated, returning her gaze to her phone. "I won't allow you to see him."

Sakura's heart squeezed painfully. "But—why not?"

"I can't have you running around looking for some boy you claim to be in love with. Especially not with that horrendous scar on your face."

Sakura felt her blood slowly boiling. She fisted her hands too hard, nearly breaking the skin. "Mother, I—"

"No." Nadeshiko's voice had taken a dangerous undertone, though she was still only looking at her Blackberry.

Sakura caught her breath, whirled around on her heel and stormed out of the room, trying to keep as calm as she possibly could.

* * *

She paced around the house for a little while before she returned to her room, blowing off some steam. She just couldn't believe how unbelievable her mother was! All Sakura wanted was Syaoran—so of course Nadeshiko refused to let her see him.

She tore open the doors to her bedroom furiously, letting them bang shut behind her. She flopped down on her bed, her face smothered by her blankets. And then her mother had brought up the scar again. Sakura knew that her scar had made her mother dislike her even more; now Sakura was an embarrassment in social skills and in looks.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but as soon as she felt them, she leapt off her bed. "No!" she shouted to herself. "No more crying! Only doing! I will see Syaoran!" She looked around the room and immediately gravitated towards the window. There was some ivy growing along the side of the house that she could climb down on.

She turned, planning to retrieve her in-case-of-emergency-run-away-pack of clothes, food and other necessities, but was stopped in her tracks at the sight of her butler leaning against the doorframe. A smirk curved his lips upward; she guessed that he had been standing there for a while, simply waiting for her to turn around and see him.

"Can I help you?" Sakura asked hesitantly. She was unsure of whether or not he would be on her side.

His smile unwavering, he nodded his head in a signal for her to follow him, those few escaped curls bouncing against his tanned forehead. "I think I know a better way out."

* * *

Her hair whipped every which way in the strong wind the helicopter created. Eamon held out his hand to her, and she took it, accepting his help as he lifted her out of the chopper. He signalled the pilot in a salute-type fashion, and he returned the gesture, pressing two fingers against his helmet. Eamon took Sakura's hand and lead her away from the helicopter so that it could take off.

When it was gone, they began their walk towards the road. "I wasn't expecting a helicopter, that's for sure," Sakura laughed.

Eamon smiled; he had changed into street clothes so that his butler suit didn't draw attention to them. "What can I say, Miss, I try my best to be unpredictable." He was now clad in jeans and a leather jacket overtop a plain black t-shirt.

Eamon called for a taxi just before they reached the road and they only had to wait a moment for it to arrive. They climbed into the musty backseat and Sakura asked, "You know exactly where Syaoran lives?"

Eamon nodded. "Yes sir."

She hesitated, then said, "Do you know what he does? For a living, I mean."

"He's a writer," Eamon replied with a side glance at her. "A journalist. One of those 'do anything for a story' types, like Lois Lane. I understand he might have some rivalry when he returns to the company, they have a new spry young fellow there."

Sakura snorted and her butler smiled, still looking at her.

"So how do you find all this out, then?"

"Maybe I'm a master detective," he said with a shrug. "Or a guy who lives in the Kinomoto household." He smirked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She frowned. "Yeah . . . ." Why hadn't she thought of looking him up before? A voice in the back of her head answered: _you were afraid of what you would find. _

They finally pulled up to what was apparently Syaoran's house. It was a fair size, though crammed tightly together with his neighbours. Sakura clambered out apprehensively, taking in all of the people loitering around on his lawn. She realized that they were reporters, waiting for the newest story on him.

"Do you think he's home?" Sakura questioned, her brows pulling together.

Eamon looked around, gazing into the windows of the home. "Probably not. He wouldn't answer the door to them, I'm sure, but I don't think he would want to deal with it all day."

Sakura suddenly tuned out as her eye was drawn to a shadow in the crook of Syaoran's house and the next. She squinted, but still couldn't make out any proper features. It was clear that the person didn't want to be seen. For a reason unknown to Sakura, the sight of the figure made her stomach turn—especially when it turned and seemed to look directly at her. Goosebumps raised along her skin and she absent-mindedly hugged her arms around herself.

"Sakura?" Slight irritation was evident in Eamon's voice. "Sakura, are you listening to me?"

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, though she was still thinking of the silhouette. "Sorry, what?"

Eamon gave her a pointed look and repeated himself. "I was _saying, _I think he's probably staying at Meiling's house."

Sakura was suddenly focused on her butler, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Why?"

He was now looking uncomfortable. "Well . . . Syaoran and Meiling were high school sweethearts. They've been on and off for years, and he stays there occasionally. I can see why he would be there, especially, er, in this situation."

* * *

_A girl, covered with blood, looking up at him, losing the light in her eyes. Then several girls, flashing quickly across his vision. And another girl, lasting several seconds longer than the others, wearing a smile for a change. He had time to take in her large emerald eyes and bob of brown hair and feel a tug of longing. Then she was gone, too, the image of a small green book taking her place. _

He sat bolt upright in his bed, cold sweat trickling down his face and back. He sat forward, putting his head between his knees and gripping tufts of hair in his fingers. He felt like he could just scream, his heart banging viciously against his ribs. Forcing his breathing to become calm and slow, he stumbled out of his bed and into the bathroom. After turning on the tap and splashing his face in cold water, he glanced into the mirror at his reflection. Though he was always falling asleep, even during the day as he had just done, he never had a particularly good sleep and he now had bags under his eyes and his skin was threatening to become sallow.

_It'll compliment my bruise, _he thought bitterly, looking at the huge bruise that stretched from his ear, over his cheek bone, down to his chin and over to his nose. How on _earth_—how the _hell _had he gotten such an awful bruise?

He turned his focus over to the skin on the other side of his chin, where it had been so badly burnt that other skin had to be grafted there. He had to continually use make-up to make it look the same tone as the rest of his face. There was also a cut on his forehead going into his hairline.

He splashed more cold water onto his face, not even wanting to think about the damage to the rest of his body, and he heard the doorbell ring. After drying his face, he went out to see who had come to the door. Meiling had answered and she sounded agitated as she spoke to the visitors.

"What's wrong, Meiling?" he asked, rounding the corner to see the door.

Meiling looked back at him, her bronze eyes uncertain. "Syaoran . . ."

Syaoran finally saw the people at the door. His heart seemed to slow down, as did time. His eyes focused on the girl, and she was staring back at him. It was her. _It was her. _

Her lips barely formed his name but he saw it. It filled him with something—reassurance? Hope? Who _was _this girl?

"—but maybe you should leave," Meiling was saying, gripping her elbows awkwardly.

The man with her, tall and dark, spoke now. Syaoran already didn't like him. "Please, miss, we—"

Syaoran looked back at Sakura, who was still watching him, looking as if she could just explode with happiness.

"The one from my dreams," he murmured, and the other man stopped talking to look at him with a slightly cocked eyebrow.

"Sorry?" he said.

Syaoran cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed, and said, "Come in, please."

The girl and the man exchanged a glance, and Meiling was giving Syaoran an odd look.

When the girl sat down on the couch, Syaoran almost went to sit beside her, but the darker skinned man sat there first. Again, he felt a flare of annoyance towards him, but he sat in the recliner without a word. Meiling remained standing.

"Well, my name is Eamon," the guy—Eamon—introduced to break the awkward silence.

"I'm Sakura," the girl said with a smile, and Syaoran felt as if he had been punched in the stomach.

"Sakura," he breathed—rather, gasped.

She looked at him, alert. "I'm sorry?"

"I just said—I'm Syaoran," he lied quickly, feeling some heat in his face. He was just being creepy now!

But Sakura looked slightly crestfallen. "I know."

"Right."

"I'm Meiling," Meiling interjected quickly. "Syaoran's girlfriend."

Syaoran almost jumped to protest but managed to strangle his words before they came out. _Pull yourself together, Syaoran!_

Sakura drew herself more upright at the mention of Syaoran having a girlfriend, and said crisply, "Well, we're here because we know what happened in the year that Syaoran has no memory of."

"Go on," Syaoran urged, his palms feeling sweaty and his stomach turning. _Sakura . . . _

She looked at Eamon as if for help, and his lips curved into a smile. She drew in a breath. "Syaoran, do you remember Mimasaka Ayumu?"

He was suddenly plunged into a memory of a man whose face he couldn't quite see clearly. He came out of it just as suddenly, breathing more heavily. "I—I don't know," he replied, then added, "Yes."

Sakura hesitated, concern creasing her features. "Are . . . are you all right?"

"Fine," Syaoran lied with the same winning smile he'd used on the TV interview. But he could tell that Sakura saw right through it.

She was still frowning when she continued. "Well . . . do you remember what he did?"

Syaoran's face fell. He stared at the floor, beginning to feel as if he were going to be sick. He tried to say something but no words were coming out. Finally he forced out, "I need a glass of water." When he stood he felt a wave of sudden dizziness crash over him, felt his legs wobble, but he made himself walk towards the kitchen.

"Ayumu was not a good person, Syaoran," Sakura told him. She exchanged another glance with Eamon, and again he nodded to her encouragingly, though his eyes flicked uneasily to the unbalanced Syaoran. "He did bad things—_very _bad things—and forced you to stand by his side."

Syaoran had almost made it to the kitchen. His head throbbed and the sickness had gotten worse. Silver spots were intruding in his vision. He reached out blindly, attempting to grab hold of the wall to support him, but he couldn't find it.

"Do you—" Sakura swallowed. "Do you remember what those bad things were?"

Syaoran's knees buckled, and he felt his feet slipping, his body leaning forward and losing balance. The silver spots were turning to black spots as he collapsed. The same image he'd seen before of Ayumu was coming back, but more clearly this time. He could see the straight nose, the thin mouth twisted into a crooked smirk, the brushed back dark hair. He couldn't see the eyes of this man, though.

He heard his name being called, from Sakura or Meiling, he couldn't tell; it sounded like he was in the shower and they were calling to him from another room. Pain shot through him when he landed on the floor; the bruised side of his face met the cool tile and he felt like everything was hopeless.

* * *

"Syaoran!" Sakura was yelling, tears forming in her eyes. "Syaoran!"

Meiling stepped in front of her, stopping her from running to Syaoran's side. "I'm thinking," she said coldly, "that it's time for you to go."

Sakura's voice was panicked. "But—Syaoran, he—"

"It's because of you!" Meiling shouted angrily, and Sakura cut off her string of words. "Now leave so that he can have proper rest!"

Sakura looked as if she were about to protest, say that she had to stay and make sure he was all right, but Eamon stepped in. He clasped his fingers firmly around Sakura's arm, holding his other hand out to Meiling. There was a small card in between his fingers that Meiling took cautiously.

"We will leave now," he said, "but please, tell him to call us when he's feeling up to it."

Syaoran groaned and shifted on the ground, trying to push himself upright again. Meiling glanced from him back to Sakura and Eamon. "Fine," she agreed. "Just go."

* * *

They had checked into the nearest hotel they could find; it was closer to Syaoran's house than to Meiling's apartment, but that wasn't the problem. It wasn't exactly the best hotel she'd ever been to—the rooms were small and it seemed like everything was covered in dust, and what few employees were there seemed to be very rude. She and Eamon had managed to get two connected rooms but they had to pay extra.

Eamon was about to depart into his own room, but Sakura stopped him.

"Eamon, wait," she blurted. He paused and looked back at her questioningly. "Do you think . . . Syaoran will call?"

Eamon smiled. "Of course he will. When he saw you, Sakura, it was like there was no one else in the room but you. He looked like an idiot but I'm certain that he remembers you—just maybe not completely."

That made Sakura feel better. When she had met Syaoran's eyes, she had felt some spark, and she knew that what Eamon was saying was true. He did remember her, deep down, and it filled her with more hope than she'd had in weeks. She hugged her knees to her chest. "I was so happy when I saw him. It's just the best feeling to know that he's okay."

"But, Sakura . . ." Eamon started uncertainly. "I think it would have been better if you hadn't covered up your scar."

Sakura sighed. Before they had gone to Meiling's, Sakura bought make up and covered her blemish. "I didn't want to startle him though . . ." She looked at her butler, who was giving her a skeptical look. She sighed again. "I'll show it to him when he remembers me."

It was Eamon's turn to sigh. "All right, but I'm positive that it's a bad idea."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled. "Good night, Sakura."

"Good night."

He turned and made to retire to his room—but, to Sakura's surprise, he came marching back over to her. Without warning, he was kissing her forehead, and then he was gone.

* * *

Sakura awoke that night to a loud bang. She sat up, looking over at the door. Was it room service? Looking at the clock, she asked herself what kind of hotel had room service at this hour. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way gingerly over to the door.

She looked through the peek hole in the door and no one was waiting on the other side. Though that should've calmed her nerves, it only set them more on edge. Where had the sound come from?

A second bang answered her question—the window. Slowly she stepped across to the other side of the room and glanced out. She didn't see anything, so she opened them tentatively. The hotel only had two floors, so it wouldn't be particularly hard to climb up to the window.

Even after looking side to side, below the window and above it, Sakura saw nothing. She stepped away from the window, feeling very on edge. She went to close the window, and then at the last second, stuck her head out again—coming face to face with a figure covered in bandages, clearly making to break into their room.

* * *

**Wow. So. I haven't updated since February….heheh. Whoops. I'm really sorry about that. I made it my mission to finish Multiple Personalities—and I did, a few weeks ago, which I am happy about because now I finally just focus on this one. I wrote most of this chapter but I wasn't happy with it, so I scrapped it and rewrote it; and frankly, I like this one a lot better. :P **

**What do you guys think of Syaoran not remembering that year? Well I guess he does kind of remember it, with his dreams and weird feelings and stuff. But I'm hoping it's not too cliché—it's what I've been thinking of since I established that Syaoran didn't remember any of his past; when he finally remembers his past, he won't remember** **the year with Ayumu! Just to piss him off xD But anyways, I'm really hoping that you guys liked this chapter, I'm a little iffy about it myself. :| Especially the second half. Geh. Please tell me in a review, of course. Hopefully an update will be quick on its way. **


	19. Phone Call

**I don't know if there are any words missing or anything because Doc Manager is being a scary mofo again and left me a message at the end of this chapter, and it was like, eHerubbeHethe and I was like, dafuq? So yeah...sorry if there are any mistakes or anything, I read it over, but DocManager scares me. :3 **

* * *

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_**Phone Call**_

* * *

Eamon went running into Sakura's room when he heard her scream. He slammed open the door, raising a patch of dust off the wall. "Sakura?"

She had bolted away from the window, still hanging open, and was looking for something. He took a step forward, confused, when she suddenly dashed back to the window holding a broom.

Sakura bent over the window again, swinging the broomstick down hard onto the bandaged figure. His grip on the wall failed with the impact and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Miss Sakura, what happened?" Eamon asked, stepping closer to the window.

Sakura felt helpless as she watched him run away, down the road and out of sight. "Someone tried to break in."

"I see," Eamon replied uncertainly. Then the corners of his lips curved into a small smile; he had burst into the room expecting to rescue Sakura, but she had done perfectly fine by herself.

Sakura remembered the heavily bandaged face she had stared into. The only breaks in the dirtied gauze were at the eyes, nose and mouth. His lips were burnt and the skin was melted and blackened; his nose was misshapen; the skin around his eyes also looked burnt. And the eyes themselves . . . just the memory of them brought a chill to her spine. They were grey, like swirling storm clouds ready to burst; like the edge of a knife, sharpened and ready for the cut. She hadn't forgotten those eyes.

"Did you see who it was?" Eamon questioned further.

"Ayumu," Sakura whispered, clenching her fists.

Eamon's catlike eyes widened. "What?"

"It was Ayumu," Sakura repeated. "I recognized his eyes, as well as all the evidence of burns."

"Then he didn't die in the fire," Eamon said.

"Apparently not, and I guess he's back with a vengeance." Sakura spun around to face him. "Which means we need to get through to Syaoran as soon as we can. Then we can take Ayumu down permanently."

Eamon nodded, his face serious. "Yes. He should call tomorrow; it must be the worst to be going without your memory."

Sakura looked up at her butler. His hair wasn't slicked back at all anymore; his curls were free at last, bouncing wildly every time he moved. He noticed her watching and put a hand up to smooth it down. "A bit crazy, isn't it? At first I didn't like the prospect of slicking it back, but now I actually like it better than when it roams free."

Sakura smiled, and was suddenly brought back to earlier that night, when Eamon had kissed her forehead. She blinked in surprise; why was that coming back now? She glanced back up at Eamon, now combing his fingers through his hair, glancing discreetly into a mirror. Did it mean something? Was she missing something?

"Eamon," she blurted, suddenly feeling the slightest bit uncomfortable, "we should probably get back to bed."

"Oh. Oh, yes, of course." He walked briskly over to the door and tipped an imaginary hat to her. The whiteness of his smile was enhanced by his dark skin tone. "Top of the evening. Have a good sleep," he added with a wink before he shut the door behind him.

Sakura sank down onto her bed, pulling the covers right up to her chin. Pushing Eamon aside, she was now thinking of Ayumu. He clearly wanted her for something. _Most likely to kill me, _she thought to herself wearily. She was reminded of the incident a few nights before, when she awoke from her nightmare to a rattling at her window. Could that have been Ayumu too?

* * *

Syaoran woke from the same nightmare, again covered in cold sweat. He glanced over at Meiling's sleeping form beside him. She appeared undisturbed. He untangled himself from the sheets, pushing them over to Meiling's side. This time, the dream was different. This time, he knew who that girl was that lingered so much longer than the others, the one with sparkling emerald eyes. It was Sakura.

His heart squeezed at just the thought of Sakura. She appeared to hold the secret to his lost memories. He felt a wave of hot guilt wash over him as he thought, looking back at Meiling, that he must have been in love with her. The tug of feelings he had felt when he saw her, and even the annoyance he'd had for Eamon just for being so close to her, the way their eyes locked. He knew that, even though his girlfriend was Meiling, he'd never felt anything for her the way he did for Sakura.

Looking at the clock he discovered that it was almost six in the morning and decided to get out of bed. He took a dazed shower, thinking of Sakura, trying to remember anything about her. He remembered seeing her walking down the street, and noticing her eyes. He remembered feeling apprehension when he thought about her. If he thought hard—and sometimes he wondered if he was just imagining it—he could feel her lips.

As he dressed and made himself some breakfast, he brooded about Mimasaka Ayumu. The name alone made his stomach turn over. When Sakura had first mentioned it, he had passed out. He could remember almost all of Ayumu's face now—except his eyes. Syaoran recalled fearing Ayumu, resenting him. But obeying him.

Sakura had said that Ayumu was a very bad person. His instincts told him that Ayumu held a strong connection to the girls he saw in his dreams.

He shoved his head into his hands. "Think, Syaoran, think!" he scolded himself, gritting his teeth in frustration. He chanted, "Think, think, think, think . . ."

Blood. Blood played a major part in the past year. So much blood—screams, so much screaming, and pounding—of feet? Footsteps, frantic footsteps—his mind was working in overdrive, it was all coming in so fast—fear, terror, fire, something gleaming—something sharp, a—

"Syaoran?"

"An axe?" Syaoran gasped, tearing his face away from his hands. His head snapped over to Meiling, who was stunned by his outburst.

"I'm sorry?"

"I can—I can remember some things—about the past year," Syaoran panted. He was breaking into a sweat again. "Blood, running footsteps, screaming, an axe . . ." He swallowed. "I need to find Sakura again. I need to know."

Meiling gave him a hesitant, lingering look, and then went to retrieve something from the kitchen. She wordlessly handed it over to him; it was a card with a contact number. He grinned and lifted his head to thank Meiling, but she cut him off with a kiss.

Syaoran stared at the card for a while. Surely it was still too early to call them. But his heart was pounding in excitement—he was starting to remember. His face fell when it finally hit him—what this Ayumu guy actually did.

* * *

Sakura and Eamon were checking in at a different hotel when Syaoran called. Sakura swallowed hard and breathed deeply before answering. "Hello?"

"Hi—Sakura? It's Syaoran," he answered breathlessly.

A smile curved her lips just at hearing his voice. "Yeah."

"Uhm . . . so . . . I was wondering if you guys could come back over soon? I—I really need to solve this mystery."

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can. And I can definitely help you solve the mystery, don't worry."

"Great." She could hear the smile in his voice. "Thank you."

She bit her lip in an attempt to hide her foolish grin. "It's honestly not a problem."

There was a moment where neither of them spoke; they only listened to the other's breathing.

Eamon turned to Sakura, bending to pick up their luggage. "We're all set," he whispered to her.

"Uhh," she said lamely, "Sorry, Syaoran, I have to go. But we'll be there soon, I promise."

"Right. I'll be looking forward to it."

It was like falling in love with him all over again; as she hung up the phone butterflies fluttered around in her stomach, making her cheeks warm and her smile wide.

"I guess he's interested," Eamon said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, he said he'll be looking forward to it," she echoed giddily as they rode up the elevator of their new hotel.

"And I'll be looking forward to not having a break in tonight," Eamon told her, hauling the bags along the hallway.

Sakura nodded her agreement. They had switched hotels in hopes of losing Ayumu, not wanting to risk another break in. Although Sakura had an eerie feeling that he might still find them anyway.

Eamon brushed past Sakura on their way into the room, briefly pressing his hand against her lower back. Heat rushed to her face; had it always been like this, was she just noticing it now?

Eamon put their things down; they didn't have much, Sakura's run-away bag and Eamon's suitcase, with an extra bag with food and other things in it. He spun around and made his way back to the door. He opened it and bowed her out; she gave a convincing laugh and they started on their way to Syaoran.

* * *

Syaoran heard the knock and had to calm himself before he answered the door. The excitement still glowed through his eyes, and Sakura caught it. It made her smile knowing that he was eager to see them again.

As they sat down, Sakura remembered Ayumu and her expression turned grave. "Syaoran, something happened last night, and now you really need to know what Ayumu did. So I won't beat around the bush, I'll just—"

"I know," Syaoran cut her off. Their gazes met. "I know that he was a killer."

As they discussed Syaoran's dreams and the images and sounds he had recollected early that morning, Meiling slipped into the other room. She pulled out her phone.

"He's starting to remember." She paused, taking in the words of whoever was on the other line. "I know but—I think he's just falling in love all over again." She winced as the phone growled at her. "Sorry. I'll just try to be more aggressive, maybe?" She glanced behind her nervously. "It doesn't look like he'll be ready to give up any time soon. Or her, for that matter." Her bright bronze eyes widened. "What scar?" The roaring laughter that filled her ear at that made her bite her lip. "Okay. Yes. Oh, wait—are you going to hurt him if this doesn't work out?" The other line hung up without a word, leaving Meiling to stand in her room uncertainly.

* * *

The trio in the living room had been talking for a while, slowly putting the pieces back together for Syaoran. He had been able to absorb a lot more than he had expected he would tonight, though he was feeling very nasty. He was getting sweaty and feverish again and his head's pounding was interfering with his listening to the conversation. Every so often he would get dizzy spells, though he was sitting, and he would need to close his eyes discreetly for a moment.

He wanted to stop. A cramp was bursting in his side, and he realized with a jolt that the deep cut in his side must have been bleeding again. He stood, a hand pressed to his side.

"I don't really feel well," he managed. "I'll call you guys again as soon as I can."

Sakura reluctantly got to her feet, followed by Eamon. Sakura almost offered to help him, but then caught sight of Meiling leaning against the wall, looking hostile. They made their way to the door and were about to leave, but Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand. Her fingers curled familiarly around his.

"Thank you," he said in what was almost a whisper. He was giving Sakura that heart melting look that made her want to stretch up to him on her toes and kiss him. But instead, she smiled, gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and departed.

Syaoran watched them go, relishing at how well Sakura's hand fit in his, before Meiling led him to the bathroom to deal with his side.

* * *

Eamon caught himself feeling annoyed at the dreamy look Syaoran's thank you had left Sakura with. She was smiling contentedly, walking with her arms swinging happily. Irritably, he thought to himself, _Why can't I have that effect on her? _Then he berated himself for thinking like that. He'd known from the beginning that Sakura was entirely infatuated with Syaoran, and that he had to crush his admiration for her. Where did he get off kissing her on the forehead and casting Syaoran smug looks?

"You seem pleased," he told her in the elevator, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I think he's starting to remember me," Sakura gushed excitedly. "Like, _really _remember me. The looks he gives me, and the way he grabbed my hand . . ."

Eamon laughed dryly. "I wonder what he'll do about his girlfriend."

"Break up with her?" she suggested weakly, giving a tiny smile.

Eamon smirked. "They're high school sweethearts. Who knows what they've been through together."

Sakura gaped at him. "Are you serious? What _they've _been through together? They met in the cafeteria. Then they fell in love and went to next period. We met when he was looking for exceptional prey for his psycho killer friend who brainwashed him. Then we fell in love and tricked him and ended up in a fire with lots of injuries and still we've managed to find each other." She raised an eyebrow triumphantly. "What makes for a better story?"

Eamon held up his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. I'm just saying that they have a history together."

Sakura huffed dramatically. "Gosh, Eamon, way to be a downer."

He was about to let out a chuckle, but as he opened the door to their room, his smile vanished.

The room was trashed. Their things were strewn across the floor, the bed sheets had been torn and thrown around, and the window had been broken. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes travelled to the wall above the beds.

Large black letters scrawled by a jerky hand spelled out the now familiar name: ITSUMI.

* * *

**Heheh, fast update huh? :3 I hope you liked it…the story will be coming to a close soon…and speaking of that, I've been thinking that after this story is finished, I'm going to make another account. One that has only good stories—not the hastily put together ones, and the just plain awful ones that I wrote years ago. I want to start fresh with well planned stories and good writing. So I hope that you'll follow me to that account, if and when that happens. I was thinking of sending a PM to the people who have me on Author Alert but that would just be painful work. XD So I'll probably just put it on the first page of all my stories and my profile that I moved accounts for those who are interested. You can tell me if you want me to send you a PM telling you what the new account would be, too. :P I'll give more info later. Sorry for rambling. :P **

**Please tell me what you think – of the chapter and of the A/N! – in a review that will be greatly appreciated! Yay, reviews! :D **


	20. Recollect

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

_**Recollect**_

* * *

The police had been called after Eamon had buzzed down to the front desk and informed them of the mess. Sakura was unsure of what to say to them when they asked her what happened, and she stood stupidly with her mouth hanging open for a moment, when another officer came to her rescue.

"Sir," he said, holding up a folder, "I have Miss Kinomoto's account from her last interview."

The older officer nodded and took the files, flipping quickly through them. Then he looked up at her again. "Do you think that this attack was by Mimasaka?"

Sakura finally managed to choke out her words. "Yes," she blurted loudly, "it definitely was."

He looked down and leafed through the papers again, then held his walkie talkie up to his mouth and started to give out a description.

"No, wait!" Sakura yelled. "He looks different now! He was in the fire and he got badly burnt! He was all wrapped up in bandages and his skin was melted and his nose was deformed. I'm guessing that he doesn't have any hair now either."

The officer stared at her, then said, "I see," before repeating her words into his radio. The younger officer jotted it down in a notebook.

A forensics officer joined them now. Sakura glanced over at Eamon, leaning against the wall and looking as if he were deep in thought.

"The message on the wall is charcoal," the forensics woman informed them. She shrugged. "But there were no fingerprints. Anywhere."

Charcoal? Sakura grit her teeth angrily. He was mocking her. She zoned out of the rest of the conversation, wondering where Ayumu could be and what he would do next.

Soon enough, the police were gone, and as soon as they shut the door behind them, Sakura wrapped her fingers around Eamon's arm and tugged him to the door.

"Miss Sakura!" he protested hastily. "What are you doing?"

"We have to see Syaoran, now!" she replied fiercely. "He has to remember everything! Who knows what Ayumu could do next, he needs to be prepared!"

Eamon's brows creased. "Miss Sakura, are you even worried about yourself?"

"I'm worried about Syaoran," she said quietly.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I'm scared," she huffed. "But I'm not worried. If Syaoran remembers everything . . . I feel like there won't be a need to worry."

Sakura's full confidence in Syaoran wounded Eamon; he had been around far longer than Syaoran had. Shouldn't she be able to rely on him too? Shouldn't she be able to trust him more than Syaoran?

Eamon pinched himself lightly to bring him back to where he really was. Sakura had never noticed Eamon when he was just a servant around the house. She'd known Syaoran a lot longer than she'd know him, and her trust in Syaoran, he was sure, ran deeper than he could imagine. But he was getting sick of telling himself he couldn't have her.

* * *

Meiling had Syaoran seated on the counter in the bathroom while she cleaned the blood off of the cut that had a tendency to re-open.

"You need to go back to the doctor about this," she said, rubbing ointment on it.

"Yeah," he replied tiredly. His hand kept returning to his head to massage his temples. He couldn't stop thinking about Ayumu and Sakura. He wanted so badly to remember everything.

There was suddenly a sharp rap on the front door that brought the both of them out of their thoughts. Meiling put the bottle of ointment down, rubbed her hands on a towel, and rushed to the door.

Irritation crept into her features when she saw that there was no one there. She looked left and right down the hall; empty. She made an impatient noise, closed the door, and returned to the bathroom.

"Who was it?" Syaoran asked.

"Nobody," Meiling grunted. "Some kids playing a stupid prank or something."

Syaoran studied his girlfriend. Her sharp eyes always seemed to be guarded, especially when she was talking to him. And from his memories of before he disappeared, she was always being flirty with him and taking every chance to hold his hand or kiss him. Now she seemed to be keeping her distance. Of course, secretly, (or not so secretly) he knew that his feelings for Sakura overtook his deadened feelings for Meiling and he didn't really mind—but he still felt guilty. Maybe she was acting so strange because she knew how much he liked Sakura?

"Meiling?" he questioned suddenly, before he could stop himself. "Is something wrong? You can—you can tell me about it."

She looked up at him, blinking in surprise. "Ah, no." She went back to checking his bruises.

He frowned. "Are you sure . . . ?"

Again, she looked up. The look on her face, though it was gone in a moment, puzzled him. It was like . . . hesitance, uncertainty . . . even distaste?

But it was gone in a second, replaced by a grin as she leaned forward to kiss him. He pulled back.

"You aren't telling me something," he said coldly. Her gaze was locked with his; she couldn't look away.

He opened his mouth to demand further from her, but the doorbell rang again. In a flash, Meiling was pounding down the hall to answer the door again. Flushed, she tore open the door and yelled, "I know you're there, you stupid little pranksters!"

"Miss Meiling . . . I beg your pardon?" Eamon questioned with a disapproving frown. Sakura stared up at her with wide eyes.

Meiling flushed further, her cheeks reddening to a dark crimson. "I'm—I'm so sorry, earlier someone rang the doorbell and no one was there, I just thought—sorry," she repeated meekly.

Sakura smiled, though her eyes were looking mildly shaken. "It's okay, everyone makes mistakes. But, we really need to talk to Syaoran."

Meiling touched her face, feeling the heat and the worry creasing her forehead. Was Syaoran starting to see through her?

She heard footsteps behind her, and then Syaoran was there, beaming down at Sakura.

"Sorry you had to leave so abruptly," he said. "What brings you back?"

"Well . . ." Sakura's face screwed up into a frown. Meiling squinted. It looked like there was something on her cheek. Acne or something, maybe? She was taken away from her thoughts when the girl suddenly burst, "Ayumu has broken into my house, and both of my hotel rooms! And I think he'll be coming after you next!"

Syaoran gaped down at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, of course! So . . . you need to do your best to remember so that we can really beat him! And so that you can be prepared!"

"Uhm, right." Syaoran waved to the sofa. "Let's sit then."

Sakura quickly settled into a spot on the couch and watched Syaoran do the same out of the corner of her eye. He had come to sit beside her, without even thinking. It made her stomach twirl.

Suddenly, everything went dark with a collective click. The lights went out, the clocks turned off.

"What . . . a black-out? That's strange," Syaoran murmured, and Sakura felt his breath tickle her ear lightly. Then she felt an itch on her face; her scar.

Her face flushed and she stood. "I'm going to the restroom," she announced, and stumbled down the hall in the darkness.

She didn't shut the door behind her, as it would leave her in total darkness. She gripped the edges of the porcelain sink and stared hard into the mirror, groping for details in the gloom. As she focused on the bumpy skin where her scar was, she realized that she hadn't reapplied the make-up before they had come back here. Panic knotted in her stomach. Had he seen the scar? He hadn't said anything about it . . . .

She worried at her bottom lip for a moment before pulling herself away from the mirror. She pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway, but before she could continue back to the living room, she noticed Syaoran standing in the bedroom. He was inspecting the gash in his side, the one that had a tendency to reopen, his shirt draped over the back of a chair. His hands fumbled with the bandages as he tried to wrap them around his torso.

Sakura marched into the room without thinking, before she could stop herself. He looked down at her in surprise, but didn't say anything when she took the gauze from his hands; their fingers brushed and sent a feeling exhilaration through both of them.

She cleared her throat. "I'll help," she whispered, standing behind him.

His lips parted, and he just nodded, his eyes never leaving her. She unravelled a length of the bandage and wrapped it around his torso, reaching around him and feeling her arms skim the muscles of his hard stomach. She blushed, accidentally pulling the gauze too tightly so that he let out a soft yelp.

In spite of herself, Sakura let out a nervous giggle. Syaoran glanced back at her, a grin evident on his face. "Laugh at my pain, why don't you?"

She bit her lip and laughed again, redoing the bandage properly. She ran her hands down the wrapping, as they done at the hospital, to check that it was on properly. But soon her hands slowed and his scent was filling her head and all of a sudden she missed Syaoran enormously again.

Then he had gingerly placed his hands over hers, running them over the strength of his torso. She couldn't resist anymore; she didn't want to. Obviously he was starting to remember their relationship, so why not—

She reached all the way around him, squeezing him lightly in a hug, resting her forehead against his back, breathing him in. He plucked her hands off, and she felt her heart contrast, but let out a rugged sigh of relief and excitement when he pressed hers hands to his mouth. He turned expertly to face her, looking down at her with the same warm gaze she remembered. He bent down, cupping her face in his hand as she raised herself on her toes. His arm wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her in closer to him, their faces so close she felt every one of his warm breaths. His thumb stroked her cheek—

Syaoran's surreal expression formed into one of confusion. "Make-up . . . ?"

Dread snowballed in Sakura's stomach as his eyes raised to her cheek, to the now-exposed scar. Syaoran's eyes widened tremendously and his breath caught. Sakura whimpered. He stepped back, holding his hands to his head.

"Scar," he grunted.

Tears bubbled out of Sakura's eyes as the sob burst out of her mouth. Her mother had been right; the scar was simply too hideous for anyone to bear looking at. Especially Syaoran. Another sob escaped her as she whirled around, toward the door. She had never been good enough for Syaoran, and the scar made her even more of a beast.

"Sakura, wait!" Syaoran yelled as she dashed around the corner, down the hall and out of the apartment. Eamon was instantly on his feet, racing after her.

Meiling, astounded by the frantic scene, got up as well, and went cautiously into the bedroom. "Syaoran?"

He was leaning heavily against the dresser, a line of sweat beading his forehead. Meiling wasn't expecting the fierce glare she received from him. He sprung to his feet so quickly that she flinched, and she flinched again when he angrily closed the space between them.

"You lied to me," he growled, his teeth grit.

"A-about what?" Meiling gasped, her heart hitting her ribs forcefully.

"You know what you did, don't get even more wrapped up in your lies!" he shouted, a vein bulging in his forehead. She swallowed. "Who told you to do it?"

"No one."

"More. Lies!" he screamed, slamming his fist into the wall.

"Why are you so angry?" Meiling asked shrilly. He had never acted like this before.

"Because you made me hurt Sakura," he hissed.

Their gazes held for a moment, Syaoran's intensity radiating from him.

"When did you remember?" Meiling finally whispered.

"Just now," he responded coldly. "Sakura's scar triggered all of the memories. It was like a blast of migraine, and Sakura thought my reaction was to her scar itself . . . Damn it!" He looked back up at her. "Who told you to tell me that we were still together when I disappeared?"

Meiling swallowed again. "Kinomoto Nadeshiko."

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"She wanted Sakura to give up on you. She thought that if Sakura gave up on you, she wouldn't try to do anything out of hand again."

"No," Syaoran breathed, "why did _you _agree to it?"

She wrung her hands together nervously. "She was offering a lot of money. Money that I needed. After you disappeared, I—"

"Save it," Syaoran muttered, giving Meiling a look that made sadness well up inside her. She wasn't in love with Syaoran anymore. They had decided that they were done seeing each other about a month before he disappeared; but he was still a very close friend and she didn't want to lose that friendship.

"Syaoran, I—" she started, but Syaoran cut her off.

"I'm disappointed, Meiling. But I don't have time for you right now." He swept out of the room, leaving Meiling to mull over her mistakes in the dark.

When Syaoran had seen Sakura's scar, the memory of Ayumu's knife cutting into her cheek had instantly blown into his mind, followed closely by an overwhelming wave of memories and emotions, the past year that he had forgotten crashing painfully back into his mind. He hadn't been repulsed by her scar at all.

Syaoran rushed down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. His eyes frantically searched for Sakura, until he finally spotted her at the park across the street from the apartment. He dashed across the road, but skidded to a halt when he saw Eamon. Instinctively, he crouched behind a bush so that he could observe them. Jealousy and protectiveness had flared through Syaoran when he'd first looked at Eamon, and ever since; now that feeling was boiling to a peak as he watched the tanned-skin butler gently put a hand on her shoulder, and whisper comfortingly into her ear. His hands balled into fists.

"Miss Sakura, are you sure you're okay?" Eamon was asking, squeezing her shoulder soothingly.

"Really, Eamon, I'm fine," Sakura replied; she would have snapped the words, were she not struggling to no end to hold back the tears.

Eamon watched her with an intense gaze. ". . . Sakura," he murmured.

Sakura's hand whipped up to her face to angrily wipe away the tears that had escaped. Eamon squeezed her shoulder again.

"Sakura, you can cry. Don't bottle it up," he urged.

She rested her eyes on a spot in front of her and didn't look away until her lip trembled and the tears were making tracks on her face, the last of the make-up leaking away to fully reveal her scar.

You have it wrong! Syaoran wanted to say. Your scar doesn't change you!

But for some odd reason, he was bolted to the ground. His eyes wouldn't tear away from the scene he was witnessing, because he knew what was coming next.

Eamon pulled Sakura into an embrace. His face gave away his conflicting emotions, and then he pulled her chin up to face him, and pushed his mouth against hers.

Syaoran ground his teeth together so hard he almost thought the sound had given him away. He remembered the first time he had kissed Sakura, when she was telling him about what she wouldn't miss in her life. She had been crying then, too. It really didn't suit her. But then again, wasn't he always the cause . . . ?

Watching someone else kiss Sakura was making his blood boil and his mind focus even better on his freshly returned memories. But he didn't want to watch any longer.

He stealthily stole away, back up to the apartment. As he did so, Sakura's mind was reeling. Syaoran hated her because of her ugly scar, Ayumu was after them both, her horrible mother had been right about her, and now Eamon seemed to like her. A lot.

She pushed Eamon away, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Eamon . . . ."

"Miss Sakura," he said quietly, grabbing her hands. "Sakura, I—" He cut himself off. He what? He was only hurting her more by doing this. His grip on her hands tightened.

"Eamon," she repeated softly, "I'm sorry, but . . . Syaoran is . . . ." She shook her head, as if she couldn't even find the words to describe him.

"I know," he said, letting go of her hands. "And I'm sorry. I can never compete with Syaoran. Just . . . forget this ever happened. I let my emotions get the better of me."

Sakura cast her gaze down again.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked, embarrassment from his uncontrolled actions washing heat across his face.

"No," she replied, smiling weakly up at him. "I'd rather be alone for now."

Well, he thought as he walked away, I guess I really can't have her.

* * *

Syaoran suddenly felt tired when he stepped back into the blacked-out apartment. He sat heavily on the couch and put his head in his hands, which then clenched into fists. He had just left while the love of his life was kissing someone else! He had the urge to just punch that stupid butler in the face over and over again!

Suddenly, he noticed a little green notebook lying on the coffee table in front of him. Frowning, he reached out and picked it up. His lips parted in a gasp when he realized that it was the notebook he had kept his dreams about his past with Ayumu written down in. He flipped through it, an ominous feeling settling in his stomach.

* * *

Sakura was sitting, now by herself, on one of the swings in the park. There was a slight chill in the air, and she hugged her arms around herself.

Her life was such a mess. She was starting to think she seriously should have listened to her mother, and forgotten about Syaoran. She would take her mother's advice in limiting her public outings so no one would see her scar. Sadness settled into her. She was suddenly yearning for her mother to tell her that she was beautiful no matter what.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the loud crack of a twig. She whirled around and scanned the bushes, but there was no one there. The chill now seemed eerie and threatening. She casually bent forward and closed her fingers around a rock. Then she stood and chucked the rock behind her. As soon as it left her hand, she set off toward the building at a run. As she reached the street, she looked behind her.

A man was holding his jaw, recovering from the thrown rock and beginning to rush after her. Sakura didn't need to see the bandaging on his face to know it was Ayumu.

* * *

**Sorry that it's been a while since an update again. :P But I've already started on the next chapter, so hopefully it'll be up soon. Like, really soon…I want the story to be finished within the next two weeks, maximum. Hell, tomorrow would be ideal. **

**Sorry if there are any mistakes, the proof read was a little hurried. :D Also, this chapter is pretty muddy here and there. Sorry about that, but I hope you still liked the chapter. :) Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	21. Chase

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_**Chase**_

* * *

Syaoran had come to the last dream in the book, the one that had finally revealed the truth to him. Now, of course, he remembered it all. His memory was whole again at last.

His eyes caught a small arrow at the bottom of the page, pointing to the right, telling him to turn to the next page. The ominous feeling in his stomach tightened and grew as he slowly turned the small paper under his finger.

A message written in charcoal covered the next few pages. One smudged word on each page—YOU—WILL—SUFFER—TOO. On the page after 'too', there was a heart. Syaoran swallowed at the twisted humour and leafed through the rest of the book. The remaining pages were cloaked in neat lines of the word 'Itsumi.'

The book clattered to the floor as the door opened and Eamon stepped inside. Syaoran leapt to his feet, looking around wildly.

"Where's Sakura?" he demanded, the knot in his stomach twisting.

Eamon watched him warily. "She's at the park. She said she wanted to be alone."

"You _idiot!_" Syaoran screamed, thundering past the butler.

Eamon grabbed Syaoran's arm. "Hey, what's going on?"

Syaoran whipped around and lashed his arms out in a hard shove. Eamon was thrown heavily into the wall, but he didn't retaliate after seeing the glare he was receiving from Syaoran, who quickly tore down the hallway and into the stairwell.

* * *

Sakura had run across the road and into the garden of Meiling's apartment building. Ayumu was gaining quickly on her. She spotted a large tree and changed course to head towards it. Her heart thumped arduously against her ribs as she pressed her back against the trunk and watched as Ayumu ran closer and closer until she could see the burnt skin around his murderous eyes. Then she leapt to the right, catching him off-guard, and kicked him with all her might into the tree. She didn't bother waiting to see the outcome of her clever little trick, and dashed towards the back door of the building.

She was close, so close. She slammed herself into the door, wrapping her fingers tightly around the handle and yanking it open. Rushing in, she shut the door behind her, intending to lock it—her hand fumbled around—where was the lock?

A thud against the door made her jump; she looked up and saw Ayumu pressing his face into the glass of the window. Sakura felt the coppery tang of panic in her mouth as she looked around for something to push onto the door. There was nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to three, sweat greasing her palms.

_One . . . _

He was scratching and banging the metal.

_Two . . . _

She opened one emerald eye and peeked at him. He was staring right at her, and began to laugh maniacally.

_Three!_

Sakura released the door handle, her feet pounding across the floor of the back entrance hall. It was a small concrete room with a door on the wall opposite her, to which she was heading. She heard the door open and slam shut and the footsteps racing after her, and her legs started to feel like a newborn doe's.

_You can make it, _she chanted to herself. _You can make it! _

She reached her hand out to grasp the door handle, her fingertips grazing the metal, when he rammed into her, forcefully pinning her against the wall. Her knees went weak and buckled, but his body against hers prevented her from falling. Was this it . . . ?

_No! _she screamed to herself. _You aren't done yet! _

She attempted to move her legs, but his were crushed against hers, so she wiggled her arm free and crashed her closed fist into the bloodied bruise that her rock had made. His hold on her eased a bit, and she was able to move her leg. She readied it for a tear-jerking blow to the crotch, but he recovered too quickly, crashing her against the wall again. Her head smacked against the concrete and she was tediously reminded of a very similar incident in Ayumu's murder cave.

He growled something severely rude to her and clutched her bad arm—the one that was still healing after being broken, also in Ayumu's murder cave. She moaned in pain, causing him to grin. His eyes studied her, sending a shiver down Sakura's spine. Then he thrust his mouth against her ear, fervently repeating "Itsumi" in a growing whisper, wrapping his arms around her crushingly. Soon he was shrieking "ITSUMI!" and shaking Sakura vehemently. She couldn't get her arms loose, but she was getting desperate and decided to bash the top of her head into his face. There was a sickeningly satisfying crunch as his nose broke, and he bellowed angrily, roaring "ITSUMI!" once again, even louder.

He clamped his hand around her mouth, and she bit repeatedly, but his hold didn't loosen. Was no one hearing his screams?

Ayumu stopped shaking her suddenly, his forefinger stroking her scar. His face split into a nasty grin again. "I remember this," he cooed. "Poor Syao-chan was so angry." He frowned suddenly, the bandages on his forehead crinkling. "You stole my Syao-chan away from me."

He let go of her face, only to raise his arm and bring it down in a hard slap that echoed around the room.

"I'm sorry I don't have my axe," he said with a smile, and Sakura recognized some of his old charm. The stinging in her cheek was making her eyes water, but she refused to cry for him, refused to give him any satisfaction. She stared defiantly back into his face, her mind working as quickly as it could to find a way out.

Ayumu lifted his arms and waggled his fingers, still smiling at her. "But why not make use of the lovely concrete surrounding us?"

Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach, and her stomach dropped into her toes. Sweat beaded her face and neck, and the panic was really starting to set in. Her eyes flitted all around the room, but she couldn't think of anything.

He reached for her again, and she grunted as she shoved him back with all her might. He stumbled backwards, and she leapt to the left, towards the door. But again, he was too quick for her, and he slammed her against the wall, then threw her onto the floor. The pain in her elbow was flaring again and she had a headache fuelled by the blood pounding relentlessly in her head, crashing noisily in her ears.

He bent down, straddling her stomach as she kicked and thrashed, throwing her head around as he clasped his fingers roughly around her face. He yanked her head upwards, then jerked it backwards to the floor. Her head hit the floor with a crack and she felt her breath leave her. She widened her eyes to make the black around her vision go away. Pain pulsed through her head and down her spine with every swift heartbeat. She battled back her tears, gritting her teeth and emitting a grunt. Ayumu smiled again and bent over her, his back arching as his face drew near hers.

He ran his fingers through her short hair, gathering it in his palm and deeply inhaling the scent. His exhale was equally as deep, his hot breath covering her face and raising goosebumps.

"If I concentrate, you can even smell like her, too," he told her breathily, pressing his face against her cheek and murmuring across her skin. "My dear Itsumi . . . I am so sorry . . ."

"Get—get off me." Fear choked Sakura's words.

Ayumu's eyes flicked to hers and lingered there as if they were singing a Siren's song. "So beautiful."

"Stop this, I'm not Itsumi!" Sakura yelled, pounding her fists against his chest.

He grabbed her face and went to kiss her. A sudden rage blasted through her; she was not going to be kissed unwillingly again tonight! She threw her already aching head forward, smashing it against his. Then she pushed her knees together and brought them up sharply into his crotch. He gasped and groaned, and she attempted to wiggle away from him. He reached out with a grunt, and wrapped his fingers around her throat, squeezing it.

She started to claw at his hand, when the door burst open and a body barrelled in, bowling Ayumu over and dragging him off of Sakura.

Sakura scrambled away, her heart still banging against her chest faster than she could even comprehend.

Syaoran was emitting a feral growl from his throat as he wrestled with Ayumu on the ground.

"Syao-chan," Ayumu grunted. "How nice of you to join us."

"Shut up!" Syaoran snapped, his fist connecting with Ayumu's jaw. Ayumu's arms shot out, shoving Syaoran back hard by the shoulders. Syaoran fell back, and Ayumu pounced on him, kneeing Syaoran in the stomach. Syaoran yelped and punched blindly at Ayumu until he hit his ear. Ayumu groaned and held the side of his head, where blood had begun oozing.

His knee was no longer in Syaoran's gut; Syaoran brought up his legs and kicked Ayumu in the chest, knocking him off balance, and jumped back up to his feet. There, he gave his burnt opponent a kick to his already bloody nose. Ayumu leapt up, holding his face, and body-checked Syaoran into the wall. Pain shot through Syaoran's hip, but his adrenaline quickly masked it. He reached out and grabbed the bandages around Ayumu's neck, pulling them tight.

Meanwhile, Sakura snapped back to reality. She had to help Syaoran! She sneaked over to the door, pulled it open silently and made sure it didn't make a noise when it shut.

She turned, her head whipping around, looking for something to use as a weapon. It was eerily quiet in the corridor, and why wouldn't it be? There was no power, why would anyone be hanging around in the hallways . . . . She bit her lip, cursing Ayumu for being so clever.

She passed a door saying 'Storage' and then quickly back-pedalled. She tried the door; locked. She took a deep breath, raised her leg, and kicked the door with all her might. To her great relief, it swung open. She rummaged around in the stores until she found a shovel.

Syaoran was having a hard time concentrating. The cut in his head had opened again, pouring blood and sweat into his eyes, as had the cut in his side that Sakura had so carefully bandaged earlier, plus the addition of new bruises. With every move he made, hot pain stabbed through his torso. Ayumu's breathing was raspy and Syaoran thought he could see purple making its way into the marred skin of his face as he tightened his hold on the neck bandages.

All of a sudden, the bandage he was holding snapped and Ayumu took in a deep breath before pulling his arm back to throw it at Syaoran.

There was an echoing slam and Ayumu collapsed. Syaoran stared, astonished, at Sakura, wielding a shovel. She dropped the shovel and rushed over to Syaoran, forgetting about the entire scene upstairs and throwing her arms around him.

Just breathing in her scent made him feel better, sent a new energy running through him. "Are you okay?" he asked, smoothing back her hair.

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "What about you?" she whispered.

He smiled at her and went to pull her close to him, just lie there holding her. But as he did so, he saw that Ayumu was back on his feet, holding the shovel.

Syaoran shouted, "No!" and hugged Sakura close to him, using himself as a shield. After a moment, he looked up again, and saw that Eamon had Ayumu in a headlock.

"Go!" Eamon spat. "I don't know how long I can hold him!"

They exchanged a meaningful glance a nod, and then Syaoran jumped to his feet, dragging Sakura with him towards the hallway door. He didn't let her look back as the door shut behind them.

"Here," Syaoran urged, making a sharp left turn to the stairwell entrance he had come from. His grip on Sakura's hand tightened as they began racing up the stairs.

They were about five floors up when the door slammed open again. Syaoran looked over the railing; Ayumu was scaling the steps two at a time. He would be level with them all too quickly.

Syaoran's foot caught on a step and he fell hard on his knees. "Dammit!" he cursed. "Run, Sakura!"

"No!" she huffed, jumping in front of Syaoran as Ayumu neared them. This time, she was going to protect Syaoran.

"Sakura, no!" Syaoran yelled. "You're gonna get hurt!"

"I'm already hurt!" Sakura snapped back, holding her arms up the way Syaoran did in a fight. Ayumu was advancing quickly . . . six steps away . . . four . . . two . . .

She threw her arm out in a left hook, her fingers crunching painfully into Ayumu's cheek. He stumbled back and spat out some blood, but was otherwise unfazed. Sakura's heart was racing. She didn't know what she should do next. She launched her leg out in a kick to the gut. He winced and grunted.

Eamon was sneaking up behind Ayumu, and nodded to Sakura to keep distracting him. Thinking quickly, Sakura flung her hand across Ayumu's face in a sharp, painful slap. He let out another grunt of pain, pressing his hand to his already bruised cheek, and Sakura allowed herself a little smile of triumph.

But her victory didn't last long—Ayumu's eyes flicked behind him and he saw Eamon approaching. He slammed the butler against the wall with his forearm and searched his pockets with the other until he found what he had apparently been looking for—a pocket knife.

Syaoran cried out, "No!" Ayumu grinned eerily at Sakura, running his finger along the length of the blade. Then he lunged at her and Syaoran called out again—she held her arms up and braced herself—but then Ayumu changed course. Suddenly, he wasn't going for Sakura anymore. He was going for Syaoran.

Sakura whipped around with a shriek, stumbling up the stairs to try and get to them. Syaoran heaved himself onto his feet, his side caked in blood, and bent his knees, preparing to jump away at the last minute. His eyes were trained on the blade. He couldn't run—that would mean turning his back. He couldn't charge Ayumu—that would be suicide.

The sound of a knife entering flesh, of blood spilling to the floor, filled Syaoran's ears. He hadn't jumped quickly enough—but it didn't matter. Eamon had jumped in front of him, and the pocket knife had struck him in the back. Sakura, only a few steps away, screamed. Eamon took advantage of the moment of stunned stillness and grabbed the knife. Syaoran saw what he had done—he had positioned himself in an awkward diagonal stance so that the blade wouldn't get any vital organs, but so that he could still get the weapon away from Ayumu.

He tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife and tugged it out of his body with a rugged gasp. He smiled at the look of shook in Ayumu's icy blue eyes, and then pushed all the air out of his lungs in a yell. He twisted around, feeling the blood soaking into his shirt, and shoved Ayumu hard in the chest. He was knocked off balance and tumbled down the stairs. Sakura kicked him in the side and kept him rolling before rushing up to Eamon's aid.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, wiping tears away with a grimy sleeve, "Eamon."

His legs buckled; he couldn't really feel them anymore. The pain in his side and back was excruciating, and it didn't help when he fell heavily on the stairs beneath him.

"We have to get you help, oh my God, oh my God," Sakura choked. She stripped off Eamon's jacket and bunched it at the wound. "Syaoran, what do we do?"

"That was really brave, man," Syaoran said quietly, kneeling beside Sakura.

"It was reckless and stupid," Sakura corrected, again scrubbing away tears.

Syaoran managed to smile. "You saved my life. Thank you."

Eamon's head was throbbing and his vision was going black. He nodded at Syaoran and then looked at Sakura. "You are such a wonderful girl—"

"Don't talk like that!" Sakura snapped. "You are not going to die."

"I was just giving you a compliment," he said weakly, his breathing turning to rasps. "Gosh. But, I better not have gotten shanked for nothing—you _are _going to have a happy life with Syaoran, and to do that you need to go after Ayumu. Right now."

"No!" Sakura protested, appalled. "We can't just leave you here! You're gonna—" She cut herself off.

Eamon gave a look to Syaoran, who nodded. He clapped Eamon on the back. "Thank you. Let's go, Sakura."

"But . . . ." She saw that she had lost and bent to kiss Eamon on the forehead. "Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He murmured something she didn't hear as they dashed down the steps, where Ayumu was attempting to stand. His arm was hanging limply at his side, but the knife was still held tightly in the other hand. Syaoran hesitated, but Sakura charged him, ready to push him down the stairs again. Ayumu jumped onto the railing and leapt off. Syaoran and Sakura looked over the edge, astonished. One of his legs was clearly broken, but adrenaline got him back on his feet, running to the exit.

Syaoran darted after him, Sakura close behind, packing on the speed to get back to ground level. He was almost out the door when they made it to the floor, and Syaoran put on a burst of speed, following him through the stairwell door, through the storage room and out the back door. As soon as they were back outside, Syaoran flung himself at Ayumu, covering the last few feet that separated them. He grabbed Ayumu's shoulders and they fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The knife fell out of Ayumu's hand, skidding across the grass.

Sakura rushed outside, her throat burning, and saw the scene. Syaoran had his knee on Ayumu's chest, holding down his arms. Her eyes travelled to Eamon's pocket knife, lying in the grass. She staggered over to it, collapsed to her knees, and curled her fingers around the handle. She held it up with shaking hands and glanced over at Ayumu. Syaoran saw a wild shadow darkening her green eyes.

She could do it. She could end it all. All she had to do was swing downwards. She glanced at Syaoran.

"He brought us so much pain," she panted. "And so many other people, too. And Eamon."

Syaoran hesitated for a moment. "He also brought us together."

Sakura looked down at the murderer again. Her fingers tightened around the knife. She raised it up above her head, sucked in a deep breath—

Suddenly, there were several loud sirens whooping around them, blindingly bright lights glaring at them.

A voice came over a loudspeaker: _"Drop the weapon! This is the police!" _

Sakura's stiff fingers unclenched the knife and it clattered to the ground. Several men in uniform came rushing over and handcuffed Ayumu, who snarled and bucked in their grasp.

One man touched Sakura's shoulders, and she jerked violently, looking at him with wide eyes. "Uhm, we also got reports of a badly wounded man?" he asked, startled.

"Yes. Yes! Eamon! He's on the stairs, he was stabbed, please help him!" Sakura pleaded, her eyes coming into focus again. The man nodded and set off into the building with some other officers.

Sakura watched as they dragged Ayumu over to the paramedics van and interviewed Syaoran while they looked at his wounds.

Then the ground came rushing up to her and everything went black.

* * *

**Well. Quite a journey, this chapter was. Sorry for the update wait, I kept trying to make myself sit and write but I kept getting distracted. Whoops. **

**Please remember to review! Last chapter I got like five reviews but way more favourites—not to sound whiny, but come on….**

**What did you think of this chapter? Tell me in a review! :D Did you think this chapter was as action-packed as I thought it was?**


	22. Little While

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

_**Little While**_

* * *

Syaoran's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself tangled in the sheets of a hospital bed, sweat beading his hairline. He sat up, his side aching. His hand was connected to an IV, and as he looked past it, he saw he wasn't the only one in the room.

He swung his legs carefully over the side of the bed and eased himself down onto his feet. Using his IV like a cane, he limped over to his sleeping roommate.

The bandages on Ayumu's face had been replaced with clean ones, though they covered less of his face. The melted skin of his face was more visible now, and it gave Syaoran's stomach a lurch. Both sides of his jaw were purpled by bruises, and he had two black eyes, adding to his already discoloured face. Although Ayumu's nose was underneath a bandage, Syaoran could tell it was bent at an odd angle and probably would be forever. His broken arm was in a cast, as was his broken leg.

Syaoran used to call Ayumu a devil with an angel's face. Even now, his looks didn't reflect how hideous the man was underneath. Syaoran's fists clenched angrily. Why was this man still alive?

A throat cleared behind him, and he spun around to see Meiling standing at the foot of his bed, looking small and guilty. New anger washed over him, but he just limped over to his bed and leaned back against his propped up pillow. He fixed a cold gaze on Meiling.

She swallowed. "You passed out not long after Sakura did." Her voice was soft.

"How is Sakura?" Syaoran asked, worry striking him suddenly.

Meiling managed the tiniest of smiles. "She's fine. Still sleeping in her room."

Then dread crashed around him. "And Eamon?"

Meiling's eyes seemed to fill with tears. "They had to revive him when they found him. There was nothing I could do but try and stop the bleeding after I called the police . . . they rushed him to the hospital and I haven't heard anything since."

Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut. _If there is a God, _he prayed silently, _please let Eamon be okay. _

"So he didn't die," Syaoran said, now looking over at Ayumu grimly. "As much as I want him dead, I'm glad that Sakura didn't kill him. She shouldn't be tainted by murder."

Meiling side-glanced at him. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "Like me."

"You didn't kill," Meiling corrected. "According to Sakura, you were just a delivery boy."

Syaoran didn't know how to respond, but he didn't need to. A knock on the door caught their attention.

Sakura was standing in the doorway, also wheeling an IV around, smiling tentatively. "Am I interrupting something?"

Syaoran's worries seemed to melt when he saw her, looking adorable in her yellow pyjamas. He smiled. "Not at all." Glancing at Meiling, he added, "Sakura, I think we have to talk. About many things."

Meiling quickly looked away, unable to meet Syaoran's gaze. She shuffled out of the room with her head down.

Syaoran beckoned for Sakura to come and sit beside him. Cautiously, she did so.

"Uhm . . . ," she started, her fingers going absent-mindedly to her scar, "so many things happened . . . I hardly even remember when I ran out on you, and I know it was childish, but I'm really self-conscious about my scar, and you don't have your memories, and you reacted to badly to the scar, but then you came to my rescue and—"

Syaoran's mouth twitched into a wider smile and he stemmed her flow of words with a kiss. Their first kiss in so long. Too long. Just like he remembered, soft, warm; basically all he ever needed packed into one thing. When he pulled away, Sakura's face was a bright scarlet and she looked completely stunned.

"I got my memories back," he whispered, stroking his thumb over her scar. "When I saw it, all of the memories I'd lost just came back to me—painfully. My bad reaction was never to your scar." He pressed his forehead against hers. "In fact, I think your scar is adorable."

She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly, burrowing her face in his neck. Her smell remained as intoxicating as he remembered. "I missed you," she whispered.

He smiled, holding her body against his. "I love you," he murmured.

She squeezed even tighter, like she was afraid he was going to slip away. "I love you, too."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, lost in their own world. Then Sakura let out a gasp and jumped up, knocking Syaoran's chin and smacking his teeth together.

She blushed. "Sorry," she said as he rubbed his jaw, "but I just remembered . . . you're dating Meiling." Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper with the last words.

A shadow darkened Syaoran's face. "Sakura, there's something I've forgotten to tell you . . . ."

He told her about Meiling's deception, how Sakura's mother had been paying her to pretend she was still Syaoran's boyfriend.

When Syaoran finished, Sakura's eyes were deadly and venomous. She stood. "I'm going to kill her."

"Yeah." Syaoran ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe Meiling would do that."

"No," Sakura corrected coldly. "My mother. The lengths she goes to keep me miserable . . ." Sakura was shaking with anger. "I'm going to _kill her! _That—that _bitch!" _

Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but a nurse knocking at the door caught both their attentions.

The nurse looked nervous. She cleared her throat and announced, "Mr. Valero is in surgery. He has been on and off since you got here, six hours ago. We're trying our best to save him. I thought I should let you know."

Sakura, her anger dissipated, swallowed, hard. "Thank you so much for letting us know."

The nurse nodded and kept on down the hallway.

Sakura turned to Syaoran. He lay back on the bed, propped up by several pillows. He held out his arms and she climbed into them. They lay there together, attempting to forget everything and just enjoy for a little while. Just for a little while.

* * *

_"The first trial, held two weeks after Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li were discharged from hospital, and nine days after Ayumu Mimasaka was discharged, was going smoothly. Miss Kinomoto gave her story and evidence; she was kidnapped by Mr. Li, who told her he was taking her to Mimasaka to be killed. On the way, they fell in love and Mr. Li told her he couldn't remember his life or how he'd met Mimasaka. They planned to escape him and turn him in, but their plan failed when Mimasaka set the house on fire. She then found herself alone in a hospital with no trace of Mr. Li. When she finally tracked him down—well, that story of the mysterious missing man is quite famous by now—he didn't remember their time together. Ayumu found them and the rest of the gruesome night unfolded._

_"Mr. Li had started to recount his own version of the story, basically the same but from his point of view, when Mimasaka started laughing and screaming maniacally and the trial had to be postponed. The second trial, held four days after, saw Mr. Li continuing his count of the story. He showed his green booklet, which had his dreams—later found to be fragments of lost memory—written down, revealing that Mr. Li had been a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, a brainwashing system often used in wars. It was revealed that he survived the fire by taking refuge in one of several freezers containing dead male bodies in Mimasaka's hidden basement chamber. By miracle, the freezer remained cold enough that it didn't completely melt down around him, although Mr. Li did suffer severe burns that needed skin grafting. Then he was thrust back into his old life, with no memory of the past year save for dreams of victims he didn't remember and a girl he had strong feelings for. As he neared the end of his story, Mimasaka broke into a fit of screams, which were deciphered to be one name over and over again: Itsumi. The trial was again postponed. No one knows what that name means._

_"The third trial was held two weeks later, and Mimasaka was surprisingly co-operative, though he spoke in what could be riddles and showed obvious signs of a mental disorder. He is a severe burn victim after the fire at his mansion. He is a big illegal drugs, weapons, and prostitute smuggler, as well as the owner of several illegal gambling and animal fight rings. Officials are still working to find out what else he might have been doing._

_"He told the judge his side of the story, although it took three separate trials. It was relatively the same as Miss Kinomoto and Mr. Li's, astonishingly."_

_"Today, the judge has made her final decision. Miss Kinomoto is of course, innocent, a witness. Mimasaka is sentenced to life in jail if he ever recovers from his mental illness. For the time being, he will be taken to an asylum. Mr. Li was determined not guilty, as he was under the influence of Stockholm Syndrome and he never partook in the actual taking of lives. Some are angry about this outcome, protesting that the judge was biased, but as for Syaoran and Sakura, leaving the courthouse now, perhaps they can finally be happy together._

_"Shigeru Otonashii, Nippon TV, signing off."_

* * *

**And perhaps, Miss Otonashii, you are wrong?**

**Ho ho. **

**How would you feel if this story ended tragically? :3 **

**I have a couple of potential endings in stock, all different. Which to choose, which to choose… Maybe you should review on it?**

**Sorry this was a short chapter, but it was necessary. I hope you liked it though! Sorry it wasn't exciting or anything. Please do review! ****:) A special thanks to a Certain Dinosaur and a Certain Garden Tool. You guys are great! Next chapter will more than likely be the last. **


	23. Last Name

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**_Last Name_  
**

* * *

The wind chilled Sakura as she walked hand-in-hand with Syaoran down the wide stone steps of the courthouse. The paparazzo's cameras flashed, and reporters were holding microphones to their faces, shooting questions at them.

They should have been happy, and they were; Syaoran had been seen not guilty and Ayumu was being sent away. But they'd just found out that Eamon, who had been in critical condition for several weeks, had officially slipped into a coma. He was completely unresponsive and there was nothing the doctors could do. Apparently, when he'd jumped in front of Ayumu's knife, it had hit his spinal column; there was also some head trauma, which Sakura guessed happened when he was holding Ayumu to let them escape.

Syaoran squeezed her hand comfortingly, and she squeezed back. He leaned closer to her. "Whatever happens, Sakura," he whispered, his warm breath calming her nerves, "I'll be here."

She took a deep breath of the crisp late November air and nodded.

* * *

The two of them were staying in Syaoran's house, which was dirty and unorganised from the year that he had been missing. It was mostly cleaned up now, but there were still several dusty cabinets and corners swamped in cobwebs.

"You know," Sakura offered, as they were sorting out papers, "I could buy you a new house."

Syaoran looked at her skeptically. "Your parents would let you?"

She smiled. "No. That's what Toya—my older brother—is for."

Syaoran threw his papers down on the desk and encircled Sakura in his arms. "Would you live there with me?" he whispered.

Her face heated up and her heartbeat quickened. "Of course," she breathed.

He tightened his hold on her, lowering his face and pressing his lips onto her neck. "Then let's get us a house."

The thought of them—_us—_living together in a new house where they could start fresh, make new memories, was so overwhelming she didn't even know what to think. So she leaned forward to kiss Syaoran.

A sharp knock on the door of the townhouse pulled the couple away from their thoughts and plans. Syaoran sighed and let go of Sakura, who jogged down the stairs and over to the front door. She opened it with a smile, but when she recognized the visitor, her expression dropped.

"M-Mother," she stammered. Nadeshiko had such an oppressing aura that Sakura had to step back. "What are you doing here . . .?"

Nadeshiko's gaze was even more cold and sharp than usual. "Is this your new home or something, Sakura?"

Sakura swallowed. "I—I was just helping Syaoran get back on his feet, Mother, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you—"

"Are you going to invite me in or let me stand out here and freeze?" Nadeshiko interrupted, her eyes no longer fixed on Sakura, but on Syaoran, who had silently appeared behind her.

He was frowning. "Please," he said, gesturing to the inside of his home, "make yourself comfortable."

Nadeshiko stalked past them, up the steps into the living area, and sat stiffly on one of the armchairs. Cautiously, Syaoran and Sakura followed.

Nadeshiko glanced at her surroundings. "Sakura, you will be a disgrace—oh, no, even more of a disgrace than you've already managed to be—if you stay here with this boy any longer."

Sakura smiled dryly. "Blunt as ever," she murmured wearily.

"I'm sorry," Syaoran cut in, "but what exactly are you implying?"

Her mother's chilly glare hardened when her eyes met Syaoran's. "What I am _implying, _rude boy, is that Sakura will be disowned by the Kinomoto Corporation if she doesn't leave this house immediately."

Syaoran's hand, about to reach for Sakura's, stopped and hovered. He glanced at Sakura. Her eyes were cast downward. His heart sank; he couldn't tear her away from her life and leave her with nothing.

"Sakura . . ." he started uncertainly. She looked up suddenly and their eyes briefly met. "You don't . . ."

"Do what you will, Mother," Sakura announced, her gaze level. She gripped Syaoran's uncertain hand and steadied it. "If I have to give up my name and fortune, so be it. Honestly, this is the perfect way out for me. That life was never for me. Besides . . ." Her fingers tightened around Syaoran's hand. "I have a new life now. With Syaoran."

Nadeshiko looked like there were several things she wanted to say; it gave Sakura a morbid satisfaction to see the tight lines around her mouth, the crease between her eyebrows. But she just stood up, made her way down the stairs to the front door, turned briefly back to them and said, "Then so be it. Good day, Mr. Li, Miss Sakura."

There were many thoughts running through Sakura's mind as she watched her own mother turn her back and walk out the door. She captured a mental image of her face just before it swung around, her dark hair swishing at her shoulders, possibly the last time she'd see that face in person. The door creaked open and Nadeshiko's high heels clicked away down the driveway. Her back was so straight a rod might have been propping up her spine. Her stance made her look so sure, so in control. Sakura knew she had just thrown something off kilter for her mother. Whether it was big or small, Sakura truly didn't know, and she thought that Nadeshiko must have been at least a little bit sad. She didn't have a daughter anymore.

Nadeshiko reached the end of the driveway and her driver opened the door of the car for her. She slipped on her sunglasses despite the gloom of the day and stepped into the vehicle. The door shut and the driver got behind the wheel and then they were gone.

Syaoran and Sakura stood in silence for a good few minutes.

"Syaoran." Her voice was a rasp.

He swallowed. "Sakura?"

"I won't be able to get you a new house anymore. I'm sorry."

She let go of his hand and started up the stairs. Stunned, Syaoran followed. She stopped in the middle of the living room, facing away from him.

"You know what I just realized?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Sadness fell over him and he went over to her, hugging her from behind. "What?" he whispered.

"I don't have a last name anymore," she breathed, whirling around and holding him tightly. It broke his heart to see the tears rolling down her face and knowing that he was the reason for them. It was all he could do to stroke her hair and kiss her face and tell her that they would make things work, he didn't need a new house.

* * *

Sakura's fingers grazed Eamon's hair, pushing it out of his face. He was still in a coma, and this was the first time she and Syaoran had a chance to see him. He had been moved to a home, a smaller, more attentive medical practise that was far more welcoming than a hospital.

Sakura leaned closer to him, hanging over the railing of his bed. "Eamon," she whispered, "please wake up."

Not surprisingly, she didn't get any response. Not even the flutter of an eyelash. She sat back in her chair heavily, watching the oxygen mask covering his tanned face get foggy and then clear up again as he breathed. He had taken that knife for Syaoran, when they'd barely known each other and liked each other even less, because it would make her happy.

Her eyes brimmed with warm tears. "I'm so sorry." She gripped his unmoving hand with her own, squeezing it. "I can never, ever repay you."

She didn't hear Syaoran enter the room and started when he rested his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. When she looked up, though, she saw that his eyes weren't on her; they were fixed on Eamon, tight and sorrowful.

"I owe him my life," he said quietly.

"We both do."

There was a soft, deliberate cough behind them, and they both turned to see a woman standing in the doorway. She smiled sheepishly at them. "I'm very sorry, but it's time for Mr. Valero's bath."

Syaoran gathered himself and stood straight, smiling back at the nurse. "Of course. We'll get out of your way." He stepped into the hall, expecting Sakura to be behind him, but she stayed back, watching the nurse unhook some tubes and brush his hair. She tipped some water into his mouth and held his lips shut until it had been swallowed. Then she filled a bucket with warm, soapy water. Sakura almost felt envious that she couldn't help Eamon but this woman was.

"Do you . . . enjoy this job?" Sakura blurted out.

The nurse looked up and smiled. "Of course. Helping people is what I love to do. Being a nurse is the dream job. Well, it is to me, anyway."

Sakura nodded slowly, and looked back at Eamon. Then she returned the woman's smile and joined Syaoran in the hall.

On the way home, Syaoran and Sakura had decided to pay a visit to Tomoyo and Eriol for the first time since before the fire. Unfortunately, when they arrived just after dusk, their car wasn't in the driveway and sure enough, they weren't home.

Sakura sighed. "What a waste of a trip."

Syaoran shook his head and reached under the welcome mat in front of the door, retrieving the key resting, hidden, on the porch. He smiled and unlocked his friends' home, letting himself in.

"They won't mind, I swear," he reassured Sakura when she stood hesitantly outside. "I've done it tonnes of times, honest." He held out his hand, and she took it, following him into the house.

Syaoran went over to the fridge to grab a pop can, but Sakura found herself back in the guestroom, the one that they had shared during their first visit here. Her fingertips ran along the soft comforter on the bed, and she remembered how she had rashly told Syaoran her feelings for him here. A smile cracked her lips.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Syaoran was now standing in the doorway, holding his drink and watching her fondly.

Sakura nodded and looked back down at the bed. It was also the place where she had been overcome with a fear of Syaoran, and cried herself to sleep thinking about it. "Good and bad."

Syaoran walked over to her and grasped her hand. "Our story certainly is a strange one," he murmured. Sakura let out a dry chuckle and nodded. Syaoran placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and then put himself to work trying to light the fireplace.

'A strange one' was an understatement, Sakura thought. Both of their lives had been completely turned around, and many more had been lost—all because of one man. Ayumu was being sent away, of course, but Sakura's spine prickled at the thought of him somehow escaping his prison and coming back to find them. She was certain that when she had seen him in court would not be the last time she would see him. And she dreaded whatever that meeting might bring.

She fixed her eyes on the flames sparking in the fireplace and felt a new determination building on top of the old determination to enjoy her last days. She had a whole new life ahead of her, a new life with Syaoran. This new determination brought forth a thought that had been loitering around the back of her mind the whole way home.

"So," she began as Syaoran settled down beside her on the rug before the newly blazing fire, "I've been thinking, I'll need to find myself a career I can take up."

Syaoran side-glanced at her and nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking . . . I want to be a nurse," she stated proudly. Syaoran smiled and remembered all of the times he had heard this same decided tone in her voice, the spark lighting in those exceptional eyes. "The nurses at the home where Eamon is . . . they're just so dedicated, and it seems like it might be such a rewarding job. I feel like I could be really good at it, you know?"

He nodded, his mouth still stretched in a grin. "You could definitely raise the spirits in a place like that." He reached his arm around her and pulled her in closer to him. "Or anywhere, for that matter." His warm breath tickled her ear now as he spoke. "You're a light in just about everyone's life, Sakura." She turned and kissed him, pushing her lips eagerly against his. For some reason, all of a sudden, he stopped moving and she had to pull away to see what was wrong.

He was looking at her, his amber eyes burning in their intensity. "Sakura, I've also been . . . thinking. About our future."

Oh god. Was he going to say he didn't want to be with her any more? She found herself gripping his shirt in a death lock.

He kissed her forehead again and his hand fumbled with something. "I love you, Sakura, and I know you know that. But I need something…something that will ensure we'll be together forever. Well, I mean, maybe not forever, these days, but, you know." He felt his cheeks warm as he noticed her staring at him confusedly. "Ah, what I mean is…you need…I want…can…" He let out a frustrated sigh and raked his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "Why is this so difficult! God, I'm so smooth at everything that doesn't matter…"

"Syaoran…" Sakura began, an eyebrow raised. His face was burning a deeper crimson with every second that ticked by, and she couldn't help but giggle. "Spit it out."

He looked up at her earnestly. "I'm trying! Sakura, you are—what I—you can—will you marry me?"

Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened hugely. He felt like a complete idiot and he couldn't comprehend why was he was suddenly so tongue-tied when he was normally so slick. An entire year of enticing girls and luring them in, and he still ended up like this. But what mattered was her response.

"Oh, god," she spluttered, "yes, I will, of course I will!"

She flung her arms around his neck with a hearty laugh and squeezed him tightly. His arms folded around her waist and he breathed in her scent, never wanting to let her go.

"I have—I have a ring, too," he said, and she immediately sat back, her eyes glowing.

"I can't believe this is happening," she squealed lightly to herself, and Syaoran couldn't help the stupid grin that crossed his face. He wrapped his hand firmly around the little velvet box in his pocket and he saw Sakura's eyes brighten as he pulled it out. He flipped open the lid with nimble fingers, revealing a handsome emerald stone sitting delicately on the ring. Carefully, he plucked it out of its silky cushion, gently held up Sakura's hand, and slid it onto her ring finger. His gaze travelled slowly from the gem up to her eyes, sparkling an even brighter emerald than the rock itself. He grinned at her, and she launched herself onto him, crashing her lips into his. He fell back, unceremoniously hitting the floor as he cupped her face in his hands. When they parted, her hair, which had grown longer since they'd first met, dangled around him, surrounding him with her scent.

A sharp knock at the front door startled them out of their little fantasy, and Sakura looked at Syaoran in question.

"Well you see, I would get up," he said, smirking as he gestured to her, still pinning him down. She blushed and jumped hurriedly off of him as he laughed. He grabbed her hand, pressed his lips into her hair and swept out of the room to the front hall.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a man he'd never met glaring down at him. He was tall, with tanned skin and a shock of dark hair, and he was holding a helmet.

Syaoran turned on his charm and smiled at the visitor. "Hi. How can I help you?"

"Toya!" Sakura blurted, and threw her arms around the man's waist, stunning Syaoran into silence. He dropped his helmet and encircled her in his big arms, lifting her off the ground.

"Sakura, don't ever scare me like that again. You left without a word! And mother forbade me from seeing you, even after the trial," he said, his voice flush with relief.

"I'm sorry, Toya," Sakura said bashfully. "I should have called you." She blinked. "Wait. Mother forbade you?"

Toya nodded gravely. "She wouldn't tell me where you were, either, so I hired a P.I. to track you down for me. I went to his house—" Toya jerked his chin to Syaoran "—but you weren't there, so I looked through the notes the investigator gave me and thought here would most likely be where you might be. But that's besides the point—mother said she actually disowned you?"

Sakura swallowed, and Syaoran's heart contracted when he saw the pain flash across her eyes. She looked over at him. "Syaoran, this is my brother, Toya."

"Sakura, I won't stand for that. She can't just do that. You're her daughter just as much as I'm her son. And I'm also her heir. I will get you back under the Kinomoto name, I swear it. I'll disown myself or something unless she takes you back," Toya declared, his eyes burning intensely.

Sakura hesitated. Then she slowly but surely shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "You don't need to do that, Toya. I don't want to be pushed around by her anymore."

Toya looked heartbroken. "But Sakura…"

"Please." They exchanged a meaningful glance and Toya sighed deeply.

"I can still…I can give you money whenever you need it," he promised. "And as soon as I become CEO, you'll be a Kinomoto again like that." He snapped his fingers to accentuate his point.

Sakura smiled, and Syaoran thought she suddenly looked incredibly wise. "You don't need to do any of that, Toya. I'm going to become a nurse, and make my own money. And I don't need to be a Kinomoto. I already have a name." She glanced at Syaoran and laced her fingers through his. "My new name is Li," she whispered and Syaoran felt his heart swell.

Toya's eyes widened. He glanced at Syaoran, and then back to Sakura. His face broke into a bittersweet smile and he dragged her back into another hug. "Sakura…my baby sister…you will _always _be my baby sister, no matter what your name is."

Sakura was near tears, and she blinked them back, her throat starting to burn. "Thank you, Toya."

Toya pulled away from their hug and reached down to pick up the helmet he'd dropped earlier. "If you ever, ever need anything, give me a call. And you'd better come and visit me. And, I guess, invite me to your wedding."

Sakura laughed, brushing the tears away from her lashes. "Sure thing."

Toya grinned and pulled on his helmet before walking over to his motorcycle. The engine revved with a roar, and then he was gone, speeding down the country road.

Syaoran wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist. "Mrs. Sakura Li," he purred. "I like that."

Sakura beamed up at him. "I like it more."

Syaoran chuckled and looked up as he heard the rumble of an engine. Tomoyo and Eriol were pulling into their driveway, and Tomoyo was out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop. She flew up the steps and smothered Sakura in a hug.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," she spluttered. "I was so worried about you! Are you really okay? Oh, god, I can't believe that all of those horrible things happened to you after you left here." Her arms tightened around Sakura.

Sakura smiled, lifting her arms to hug her friend back. "I know. Don't worry, I'm fine, I swear."

"And, we have some good news," Syaoran said, his lips tweaking up in a grin.

Sakura sucked in an excited breath, squeezing Tomoyo even more tightly. Then she pulled away, and Tomoyo saw her green eyes dazzling with bare excitement. Eriol was behind them now, his hand on Tomoyo's waist.

"Syaoran and I are getting married!" Sakura burst out ecstatically.

* * *

**So I know you all want to kill me for the wait for this, as per usual, but this time I have an excuse...sorta. My teacher wanted me to make a play for a drama festival at school and I was like, "Why not Amber and Emerald? :D" So I started making it into a play. Then I was like egh and started working on this again xD so yeah...this chapter is originally half of the real final chapter, which had grown to be over 12 pages, so I decided to cut it in half and post this early ;) Just for you. Yes you. But the other half will be up soon, I'm almost finished it (though I've been saying that for a while) so I hope you'll bare with me and enjoy this chapter. :) **

**Also, I entered a short story contest at school, it's a Canada-wide high school writing contest, and I made it through the first round! :D So I will have my story published in a book in June! Yaay! (It's called The Memory Machine, my entry is titled "Grin" ;D) Arielle says hi (LOLWHUT :D) I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Tell me what you think of the engagement and Nadeshiko's disowning in a review! :O **


	24. Final Chapter

**Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey **

**The Final Chapter**

* * *

The car bumped along the rocky road leading to Sakura's new workplace. It was a specialised facility that focused more individually on the patients, like the one that had first inspired her to become a nurse; like the one that had treated Eamon so well.

The building came into view, about the size of a motel. She pulled into the driveway, the gravel crunching under her wheels, and she saw an older woman in a wheelchair watering the row of plants lining the property. A middle aged woman stood over her, her hand resting on the wheelchair's handle, and she looked up when she heard Sakura's car. Immediately the woman's face broke into a smile. She bent down, whispered something in the elderly lady's ear, and walked over to meet Sakura. Upon closer inspection, Sakura saw that her eyes were a deep blue, and when she smiled they creased with laugh lines. Her messy red hair was tied back in a bun and she had a thin frame under her nurse's dress. Sakura estimated she was in her early forties. The woman held out her hand and Sakura gladly took it.

"You must be Sakura," she said, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Sakura grinned back. "Yes, ma'am. Sakura Li, at your service."

"My name is Sumi Watase. I'm the head nurse here," she explained. Sakura noticed Sumi's eyes flick briefly to the scar on her face. A reaction she was used to. "Just a moment, I'll show you inside." Sumi hurried back over to the old lady, who had completed her task of nourishing the plants and was now sitting patiently, and wheeled her over to the front door where Sumi beckoned for Sakura to follow.

The inside of the building was carpeted, and there were several potted plants and chairs scattered around the front room. A large TV was pushed against the wall in one corner, and a small gathering of patients sat watching some kid's movie. Sakura recognized it; it was one of Tomoyo and Eriol's daughter's favourites. Sumi wheeled the old lady into the group and then led Sakura to the front desk.

"I just need you to sign these papers," she said after rummaging through a drawer.

"No problem," Sakura replied, taking a pen and holding the papers down with one hand.

"You look familiar," Sumi decided. "Have we met?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, I don't believe so."

Sumi studied Sakura more carefully; her curly brown hair, now falling below her shoulders, her stylish, mature clothes, the length of her legs, her slender curves. Especially the scar on her cheek, and her stunning emerald eyes. Sumi was certain she'd seen Sakura somewhere before. Her eyes caught the rings on Sakura's finger. "Are you married?" Sumi asked hesitantly.

Sakura looked up and smiled. "Yes."

"You're awfully young to be married."

"I got married when I was sixteen." Sakura felt a little bit embarrassed from the look she was getting. "That was seven years ago."

"The ring is absolutely beautiful," Sumi marvelled, her eyes now trained on Sakura's ring finger.

"Thank you." A grin was tugging at Sakura's lips. She glanced down at the ring fondly; their wedding band, after a few years of wear, had come to look like the warm amber she saw in Syaoran's eyes. The emerald engagement ring sat above it.

Sakura finished signing with a flourish and handed back the papers. She was led to the staff room and shown all the protocols of the establishment. On the way back to the main room, they passed a closed door with a 'do not disturb' sign swinging on the doorknob. Sumi caught her looking at it.

"That room has a patient that needs extra attention. He has a twenty-four hour nurse assigned only to him, so you don't need to worry about that," she explained. "Now, as for _your _first assignment…"

As Sumi went on to describe her first task, Sakura glanced behind her once more at the shut door and wondered what the patient was like.

* * *

Syaoran's fingers flew across the keyboard, typing faster than the computer could keep up with. His notes were sprawled everywhere, and a pen was clamped between his teeth. His typing suddenly stopped and he circled some things on his notes with the pen, returned it to his mouth, and resumed typing.

He heard the door open and close and abruptly stopped what he was doing, saving his file and letting his jaw go slack, the pen clattering against the table. He shoved back his chair and rushed to the front door to meet Sakura, who was taking off her shoes and giving him her radiant smile. He held out his arms and she walked into them, pressing against his firm torso. He inhaled her scent, the same as it always was, and asked how her day went.

"It was great," Sakura responded dreamily.

"Did anyone say anything-?" he asked hesitantly, nodding to the marred skin of her face.

Sakura shook her head. "If they noticed, they don't care. It's such a small group of closely knit people, and it doesn't feel like doing work anymore, it feels like I'm just doing people a bunch of favours."

"It was never work for you," Syaoran retorted, shaking his head. "You always loved it way too much for it to be work."

"Oh?" She looked up at him. "And what about your journalism?"

"Ah!" His eyes lit up, dancing with sudden excitement. "I'm almost finished with my next article! Come and read it!" He grabbed Sakura's hand and led her into his study. He pushed aside his notes and sat her in his chair. Silence fell for a moment, Sakura reading the document intently and Syaoran with his eyes trained on his wife.

At the end Sakura gasped, her mouth falling open in shock. "It was all the police officer in the end?"

Syaoran nodded soberly, locks of messy hair falling across his forehead. "I still need to tie things up, but I wanted you to read it."

Sakura stood up and clasped her hands together behind his neck, pushing her lips lightly against his.

"So how does it feel to finally have reached your goal?" Syaoran murmured, his warm breath caressing her face.

She inhaled deeply. "Great. Fulfilling. Amazing." She squeezed him more snugly. "I love it there so much already. It's even better than where Eamon was."

A silence fell between them. Sakura broke it, though her words were barely audible. "We should go see him."

* * *

Clouds blanketed the sky and wind stirred in the air, the calm before the storm. Sakura's fingers trembled around the bundle of flowers they were holding. Slowly, she rested them gingerly on the gravestone, kneeling on the earth in front of it.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt a sudden overwhelming despair. "I'm sorry I never got to care for you," she whispered, her fingertips tracing the letters on the stone. "But I'm finally where I've always wanted to be, Eamon. And it's all because of you."

Syaoran bent down beside her, reaching his arm around her waist and resting her head on his shoulder as she began to weep. Soon she was shaking and moaning, clutching at Syaoran's jacket and burying her face in his chest. He didn't bother trying to brush away his own tears, he just stared, his vision blurred by the moisture, at their friend's gravestone.

Eamon was still in his coma at the time of their wedding, but a few months after, he had awoken slowly and was soon able to speak weakly. He couldn't move his legs—he was now paraplegic—but he could move his torso muscles, though it caused him great fatigue. He sincerely told Sakura how happy he was about her marriage and how heartbroken he was to have missed it. She informed him about Ayumu's sentence, and he wasn't pleased. She told him she wanted to be a nurse, working in a place like the one where he was staying, and maybe she could care for him if he wasn't well by the time she'd finished school. And, the best news of all, she told him that they'd been successful in conceiving a baby.

When Sakura left the room briefly, Syaoran thanked him for saving his life, meaning both with taking the wound and by saving Sakura. He'd smiled tiredly and told Syaoran he would haunt him for the rest of his life if he didn't take exquisite care of Sakura. The meaning of that statement dawned on Syaoran later. He'd known he was going to die. He knew he would never be well.

A week later, he died from a blood clot. Sakura had been so devastated she had a miscarriage and hadn't spoken of having children since.

Syaoran swallowed the burning lump in his throat when the wind started whipping viciously and the grey of the clouds turned to charcoal. "Come on," he croaked. She didn't respond at first. Softly, he repeated, "Come on, baby, we need to go now."

Sakura groggily pulled away from Syaoran's embrace and kissed the top of the stone.

* * *

The next week was good for both Sakura and Syaoran. Sakura was doing well at her new job and she was extremely happy there.

As she was dusting, she saw that a few of the patients were watching a talk show; one that was featuring Syaoran. She made her way over to the TV with a small smile on her face. They were questioning him about his articles and the awards he'd won for them. Inevitably, their adventures from seven years ago would come up soon. Sakura didn't enjoy starring in the TV shows anymore; the case was over, there was no point in talking about it anymore. Syaoran had a reason, however: he was a famous journalist. But Sakura kept to the privacy she'd yearned for her entire childhood.

"He seems like a nice guy," Sumi said, coming up behind her with the remote, "but watching him agitates one of our patients, so we don't watch his interviews. Especially this close to meal-time. Which reminds me, your break is soon. You can go early if you like."

As the senior nurse changed the channel, Sakura's brows slowly knit together. "Why?"  
Sumi looked at her. "Hmm?"

Sakura repeated, "Why does it agitate a patient?"

She lowered her voice. "He was involved in the case."

Dread snowballed in her stomach, icy fingers tracing down her spine. "I think…I think I'll stay for mealtime."

Sumi smiled, her laugh lines appearing. "How nice of you!"

Sakura managed to lift the corners of her lips in return, but she didn't feel like smiling at all. In fact, she felt as if she would throw up.

The next quarter of an hour went by strenuously. Sakura spent most of it staring, horrified, at the closed door in the hallway, her fingers numb around the feather duster. How desperately she hoped she was wrong. But how could she be?

"Sakura?" Sumi asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling all right? Maybe you should take your break."

With effort, Sakura shook her head. "Sumi," she began quietly, "I think I know where you've seen me before."

Sumi snapped her fingers. "Ah hah! I knew I'd seen you somewhere! Where was it?"

One of the other nurses rang the mealtime bell, and a moment later the doorknob of that treacherous door turned and clicked. The door swung open.

"My name is Li by marriage," Sakura explained, clenching the handle of the duster harder. "I used to be Sakura Kinomoto. My hair used to be a lot shorter." She turned and looked at Sumi seriously and saw the realization dawning on her face, her colour paling.

"Oh, dear," she whispered.

They turned and watched as his specialised nurse wheeled Ayumu out of his large, private room. He was bald, his skin was discoloured and melted, his nose was deformed; he was thin, gaunt, and weak. His icy eyes still had the same hatred, wildness and contempt that she remembered. Everything came flashing back to her when their eyes met.

His eyes widened in disbelief and his sagging mouth fell into an 'o'. Sakura's heartbeat quickened. Their locked gaze didn't break even as the nurse wheeled him over to the dining area unknowingly. Sumi examined their exchange and beckoned for a security guard to be wary of the situation.

Ayumu's wheelchair bumped into the table, in front of his plate. He looked down, apparently distracted by his food. Sakura took the chance to look away as well, and be able to breathe again.

It was him. After all this time, Ayumu had shown up in her life again. She couldn't believe it; her prediction had been correct. Although she'd never dreamed it would've happened like this.

She worked her legs mechanically and with much effort, bringing her apprehensively toward the dinner table. What was she going to do, exactly? What was she going to say, to this man who wanted to kill her? To this man who wanted to kill her husband? This man, who succeeded in killing her close friend? This man who had killed so many before that?

This man, now so frail and weak. Sitting before her in a wheelchair, with a blanket over his lap to keep his legs warm.

Hearing a clatter from his place at the table, she dared to look up again and felt her heart skip a beat to see that he was already staring intently back at her again. The other patients were clearly discomforted by him as well.

Then, in a blur, he was on his feet, the blanket falling to his ankles, charging at her with his dinner knife held high. Sakura let out a scream and snatched up a dinner plate, ready to use it as a shield or a weapon. His eyes were gleaming with insanity and he was shouting profanities, ready to finally plunge the knife into Sakura after such a long wait. She readied herself to jump out of the way at the last minute, holding her plate firmly.

His shrill screech rang through her ears, the name she hadn't heard in so long yet remembered so well. "_Itsumi_!"

Then his knees buckled and he was sprawled on the floor. Blood seeped from underneath him, and Sakura let out a cry, dropping the plate. She hesitated a moment, and then rushed toward him, very gently turning him over. He had fallen onto the knife, the handle jutting out from his abdomen, blood streaming from the wound. There was a roar in her ears and time seemed to be slowing down.

This was it.

He wheezed and coughed, scarlet spittle staining the carpet.

She could let him die here.

His hand found the knife handle and he gripped it, blood gushing around his palm and fingers.

This man.

He groaned and yelped when he tried to move the knife.

Who had caused her so much pain.

His eyes met hers, clouded with agony.

And she would.

A piercing scream brought her back to the real world with a gasp.

"Somebody help him!" His nurse was shrieking and crying.

"Get this—out—of my stomach!" Ayumu demanded in a scratchy voice that sent a jilting shiver down Sakura's spine.

"No," Sakura responded automatically. "You never remove the obstacle from the wound."

His gaze was filled with such hatred that she recoiled. "I don't need your help, Itsumi," he growled.

"I'm not. Itsumi," she hissed back. She grabbed his blanket and went to sop up the wound, but he lashed out at her shoulder with his hand, smearing her with blood. Suddenly someone was beside her.

"I'll handle this," she said; it was Ayumu's nurse, wiping away her tears and putting on her professional face. "I don't want you to get hurt, too."

Sakura swallowed, glanced back at Ayumu, who was tugging at the knife, and nodded. She stepped away and watched the nurse start to help him. She put her hands on his, trying to quietly coax him to let go of the handle. Sakura heard sirens from far off down the road.

Everything happened at once. Ayumu shoved the nurse away aggressively and tore the knife from his stomach. The blood burst from the injury, pouring onto the floor around him. The nurse screamed and pressed the blanket against him, but he was distracted. He was looking at Sakura, still clutching the knife. Realizing what he was planning to do, she scrambled to stand but slipped on the blood and fell back.

He dragged himself forward and stabbed the weapon down towards her. It missed by inches and lodged deeply into the floor. He hauled himself, red in the face and wild-eyed, blood seeping from his torso, over to the blade, and tried to pull it out of the floor.

On a whim, Sakura reached forward and yanked it out of the ground. She held it up, looking back at him.

All of a sudden the colour drained from his face. His breathing deepened and slowed and his gaze crept up to Sakura's. His loathing was overwhelming, but there was something else there too. And then there were tears running through the bloodstains on his face.

"Itsumi," he whispered, barely audible, "I love you."

Sakura was entirely taken aback. What was this, going on in front of her?

"I'm so sorry," he went on, his face crumpling in sorrow. Then his hand flew to his stomach, he spluttered a few more indecipherable words, and there was a thud as his head hit the floor, sending a ripple through the pool of blood.

The ripple reached where Sakura was sitting, and for the first time she fully realized that she was sitting in his blood. She lifted her hand, and it were sticky with the stuff. She looked back at Ayumu, now a corpse, and the paramedics burst in. With a jerk she realized she was still holding the blade and she immediately dropped it. What had she been planning to do with it? Kill him? Throw it out of his reach?

The body was lifted onto a stretcher, and she watched as he was rushed into the ambulance.

She looked down. She had watched his life's blood leak away, and now she was soaked in it. Before she fully understood what had happened, tears were running down her face. Despite the absolute hate she felt for him, she was beyond grateful to him. She'd met Syaoran because of him.

But she wasn't sorry he was dead.

Not in the least.

* * *

That day, Sakura was sent home as soon as the ambulance had pulled out of the driveway. They'd asked her if she was hurt, but she told them he hadn't succeeded in hurting anyone but himself.

She and Syaoran lived in a fair sized house just outside the suburbs; it was the perfect mix of bustle and privacy for them. When Sakura arrived at the house, Syaoran wasn't home yet. Numbly, she went to the bathroom and got in the shower, the hot water washing away the now-dried blood. After what seemed like ages, she turned the water off, dried herself and put on clean clothes. Then she wrapped herself in a blanket, turned on the TV, and curled up on the couch until Syaoran got home.

She listened to the door open and close, and counted his footsteps as he made his way into the living room. He frowned worriedly when he saw her.

"Sakura?" he asked. "What's wrong?" He looked around. "How long have you been home? Did you leave work early?"

She gave him a thoughtful stare. Finally, she said, "The patient."

Syaoran paused for a moment, uncertain. He walked to the couch and sat beside Sakura, putting his arm around her. "Which patient?"

"The one that stayed in his room except at meal time," she continued.

"You never got to see him because your break was at meal time. Did you see him today?" Syaoran felt his palms getting sweaty. Why was this story making him feel so nervous?

Sakura nodded, taking a deep breath. "It was Ayumu."

Shocked silence fell over them. Syaoran's ears rung, like Sakura had set off an explosion.

"What?" he managed to whisper, feeling dizzy.

"It was Ayumu, all along, that's where he was. He saw me . . . and he tried to kill me," she choked.

Syaoran, alarmed, looked back at Sakura, his grip on her tightening. "What?" he echoed.

"But he tripped . . . and fell . . . on his knife." She looked up, her gorgeous eyes immense and rattled. "He's dead."

Slowly, Syaoran turned his head and fixed his gaze on the floor. He put his face in his hands.

_Ayumu was dead. _

How long had they wished for this? How long had they waited? The horrors he had gone through because of him. And Sakura, too.

"Sakura," he murmured, "we're safe. There's nothing to worry about now. He can't hurt us anymore." Again, their eyes met. She was crying, and he might've been too. "It's finally over."

She threw her arms out, around his neck, and held on tightly. He returned her embrace, stroking her hair gently.

They sat there like that for quite some time, until in unison they drew away from each other. Sakura's tears had dried up; now she was smiling, a cautious smile, as if she thought Ayumu might still be lurking in the shadows somewhere. She didn't say anything, although the expression on her face was conveying many things. She was happy. She wasn't scared; for the first time in seven years, fear wasn't constantly lurking in the corners of her mind. She felt pity for Ayumu. She was relieved.

Gingerly, she raised her head up to his and kissed him, lightly, innocently. Just a peck. He understood. That was the thing that marked the start of a new life, a real new life. Not just with Ayumu locked somewhere, but with him actually gone. That kiss sparked something, some energy that had been dormant all those years. It was like they were finally waking up and they could fully enjoy each other for the first time.

She leaned back, grinning, her eyes lighting up her entire face. He beamed back, and they kissed again, far more intensely, far more passionately, bodies pressed together, fingers running through hair. Free.

* * *

They visited Eamon's grave again. Sakura told him that Ayumu was finally dead. It wasn't as if they'd gotten revenge or anything like that, but seeing that it was his own violence and hatred that had killed him seemed like some sort of justice. She told Eamon that now his soul could be free, too. They laid new flowers, an enormous bouquet of yellow roses.

"Thank you, Eamon." Sakura ran her fingers along the top of the gravestone tenderly. She kissed it again, though this time the face of it. "And I'm sorry."

She stood and stepped back, holding Syaoran's hand. They studied the scene for a while, allowing their sorrow to fill up and drain out before they returned home.

They were about to step into their house, when Sakura stopped, facing Syaoran. She was blushing, taking him aback.

"I think . . ." She swallowed and giggled sheepishly. "I want to try for children again. If you still want to."

Syaoran's eyes brightened with understanding and he let out a joyous, hearty laugh. He picked Sakura up and twirled her around.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, setting Sakura down, only to pick her up and whirl around with her again. "Yes!"

"Let's call Tomoyo and Eriol over, we need to tell them everything!" Sakura squealed.

* * *

Tomoyo was in tears when Sakura finished telling her story. The four of them were sitting at the dinner table, having a coffee, along with Tomoyo and Eriol's daughter.

"I'm just sorry I wasn't there," Syaoran said bitterly, gritting his teeth.

"But you were," Sakura corrected. "You were on the TV. If you hadn't been there on the TV . . . who knows how long I could've been there, not knowing it was him in that room?"

Syaoran's lips twitched. "I suppose."

Sakura frowned stubbornly. "You don't 'suppose', it's true."

He chuckled, intertwining his fingers with hers under the table. His eyes found little Suzuka, colouring away with her crayons. "She's five now. So big."

Eriol nodded, smiling. "Quite the artist, isn't she?"

Syaoran craned his neck to see what she was drawing. It was a picture of Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol and himself standing around their house with her. When she noticed everyone staring, she hugged the paper to her chest in protest. "It's not finished yet!" she complained. "Don't look!"

Syaoran bit back a laugh. Suzuka sure was adorable. She had Eriol's navy hair, but it tumbled around her shoulders the way her mother's did. Her eyes were wide and sapphire and her skin was like porcelain. The perfect mix of Tomoyo and Eriol.

It seemed that Sakura was having the same thoughts; they exchanged a glance that seemed to say, _what will ours look like? _

Sakura's heart leapt when she remembered that soon, she would have a little baby of her own. Secretly she hoped it would look more like Syaoran but she knew he would be hoping it would look more like her.

"We have some other news," Syaoran began, but Sakura jumped in quickly.

"We're gonna have a baby!" she burst out.

Syaoran rested his head on his palm. "Blunt as ever," he said with a smirk. Sakura gave him a stinging flick on the arm.

Tomoyo and Sakura rattled on about the baby, but Eriol leaned closer to Syaoran. "Have you heard from Meiling in a while?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Three years ago she called me and said she was going to America. She apologized again for what she did, but I told her not to call me again and to have a nice life in America."

Eriol nodded in understanding. "I wonder if she'll end up hearing about Ayumu's death."

Syaoran shrugged. He didn't want to talk about Meiling anymore.

Just then, his phone rang, and he excused himself from the table.

"So I was thinking, if it's a boy, his middle name needs to be Eamon. Just, no doubt about it," Sakura was saying. "And we have a second boy, his middle name will be Toya."

"What about girls?" Tomoyo prodded.

Sakura smiled. "I _guess _I could make my girl's middle name Tomoyo, if we have one. If you _really _want me to," she teased.

"You're so mean!" Tomoyo giggled.

"Hey, Sakura," Syaoran called, holding his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "How would you feel about appearing on a documentary and a TV segment about Ayumu?" His face was clouded with uncertainty. He knew she disliked being on camera.

Sakura took a deep breath, her jaw working. "You know what . . . yes." Syaoran's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "My mother hasn't seen me since my last TV appearance. That was, what? Six years ago? I'd like her to see how I've grown up without her help."

The look on Sakura's face was so certain that Syaoran simply shrugged and told the man on the phone that they'd do it.

"You're far more beautiful than your mother, Sakura," Tomoyo declared. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I always found your mother's looks intimidating, but you . . . Nadeshiko will be angry when she sees you. Look at how well you manage to work your scar without even trying, and people love you all the same, whereas she thought that people would run at the sight of you."

Sakura ran her finger around the rim of her cup thoughtfully. "I think it's because she had an experience where that happened to her. There must have been some time in her life when she wasn't beautiful yet, and people disliked her simply because she was ugly on the inside. When she gained money and status and grew into her looks, people started to like her but it was only for those three things." Sakura looked up, picturing that last moment she'd seen her mother in person. The click of her heels, the swish of her hair. "I don't think she realizes that. She's one of those people where personality is just a figment of imagination. Oh, and thank you, Tomoyo," Sakura added with an embarrassed smile, remembering the compliment.

Syaoran rejoined them at the table as Suzuka let out an enormous yawn.

"Are you sleepy, sweetie?" Tomoyo cooed. Suzuka rubbed her eyes and shook her head but another yawn exposed her lie. "We should get going."

Sakura nodded and watched as Eriol scooped their baby up and they all migrated to the entrance hall. They exchanged their good-byes and then their friends were on their way home.

When they went back into the kitchen to clean up, Sakura saw the picture that Suzuka had drawn. Syaoran peeked at it over her shoulder. They both smiled.

"She must have been listening," Sakura giggled.

Suzuka had added another little person beside her and it had an arrow pointing at it saying 'Sakera and Showron's bayby (I dontt now wat its called yet).' Certain letters were backwards.

Sakura put the picture on the fridge and then they sat down together. "Sakura and Syaoran's baby," Sakura thought aloud. "Mr. and Mrs. Li's baby."

"Yeah. We should get started on that," Syaoran purred, pulling Sakura closer to him and pressing his mouth against hers, their lips fitting so naturally together.

* * *

Sakura was given a few days off work, but was soon back at the home. The patients were shaken from the incident and the nurses had to be extra attentive.

When Sakura was finished settling down an elderly paraplegic for a nap, she passed Ayumu's former nurse, Ritsuko, in the hallway.

"Hi," she said, stopping the nurse. "How . . . are you?"

Ritsuko smiled. "I'm doing okay. I know it seems odd but I had a bond with Mr. Mimasaka."

She swallowed back her disgust and ventured on. "Did he . . . ever say anything about Itsumi?"

"Oh, why yes," she said. "He spoke of her all the time."

Sakura's heart leapt. "Really? What did he say?"

"Bits and pieces, usually the same thing over and over again. He would describe her—basically, she looked like you." Sakura shivered. "He always said he was sorry . . . I never asked him why he was apologizing to her because I think we both know what he did." She gave Sakura an uncertain look. Sakura nodded gravely. "He asked why she betrayed him. He said that he loved her sometimes. That's really all."

Sakura felt disappointment wash over her. "Oh. Thank you."

* * *

That night, Sakura was sitting in the grass in her backyard, hugging her knees to her chest. She heard Syaoran's footsteps approaching and then he was beside her and she was leaning against him.

"Why are you out here, all alone?" he asked.

"We're never going to know who Itsumi is," Sakura explained.

"Did you ask the nurse about her?"

"She said he loved her, he apologized to her all the time, she betrayed him and he killed her."

"Well, then we know who she is," Syaoran replied quietly.

Sakura looked at him. "How so?"

"He was in love with her. And he killed her. 'Never fall in love with a victim.' We know where that came from. She betrayed him. That's why he killed her. And he was sorry. So he really did love her."

"You're right," Sakura amended. "I guess we don't really need to know anymore. Maybe we don't want to." She sighed. "And she looked just like me, apparently."

"Does that bother you?"

"I don't think so. But if I didn't look like her . . . would things have ended differently?"

"Would we want things to have ended differently?" Syaoran's voice was so soft it was almost carried away by the wind.

She lay back in the grass, Syaoran following suit. Closing her eyes, she thought hard about Syaoran's question.

Syaoran studied her, the way her eyes flitted around under her lids, and the way her pink lips parted slightly as she thought. Her skin glowed in the moonlight and the way her hair was tucked behind her made it look shorter and reminded him of how she looked when they'd first met. Her scar—rugged, coarse flesh, looked a divine silver, a physical stroke of fate that Syaoran wouldn't change if he could. It helped make her who she was. Then her eyes fluttered open and those emerald pools looked at him, the moon casting a turquoise sheen over them.

"I wouldn't have wanted things to end differently," she said softly. "We wouldn't be what we are today if things had taken a different path."

"I agree," Syaoran breathed. "I can't say what, but many things would've gone differently."

"Syaoran . . . there's something else that's been occupying my mind," she went on doubtfully.

Syaoran's face formed a question. His eyes egged her on.

"I don't know if I should tell you yet . . ."

"Well that just isn't fair."

She cracked a smile. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Syaoran's eyebrows perked up and his eyes stretched extensively.

"I took the test a few days ago and it read positive."

"That's . . . that's wonderful," Syaoran said, his voice filled with excitement. "But why didn't you want to tell me?"

"In case I have another miscarriage," she muttered. Her gaze stayed locked with his.

His face softened. "Want to know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think that your getting pregnant so easily, so quickly, is a sign. I think that this baby is here to stay." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then moved down to her mouth. She rested her hand on his face, feeling his strong cheekbones under her fingers. "I love you, Sakura."

"I love you, too." She smiled, and suddenly there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Syaoran, do you know what I feel? With you?"

"Something good, I hope."

She put her lips close to his ear. "Safe."

* * *

**For once, an insanely quick update! :D And it's the FINAL CHAPTER! That's all, folks! I'm sorry, it was a weak ending, but I wanted to do something...what to call it...witty? Egh. I hope you liked it, anyways. :3 I literally sat for hours trying to think of how the last scene should go, and this is what I produced. God, I DESPERATELY hope you all like it! I'd like to thank all of you for staying with me through these...what, three years now? Four? I'm very sorry it took so long, but for me, it was worth it, and I hope it was for you too. Please, tell me what you think in one last review. Are you angry with me for killing Eamon? Are you happy for Sakura and her positive pregnancy? How about little Suzuka? Or Ayumu's death? Seriously, thank you all so much, and I hope that if I continue writing fanfiction you'll continue reading it, and if I end up one day getting published you might find that too. I can't tell you all how grateful I am for your reviews and making my writing so rewarding. I'm sorry there's a lot of their life I left out. Maybe, if you're good...I might write one. ;) Tell me that in a review too. If you could pick a scene that you didn't see in the story that you want to see, what would it be? Check my profile for a poll soon, perhaps, but for sure tell me in a review so that I know what people actually want. xD **

**GOODBYE FOR NOW, BELOVED READERS! I LOVE YOU ALL! (shout out to Rake and Arielle! Thank you guys too!) **


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